2005
for soloists, choir and chamber ensemble
Duration : 30'
TOV014c
From Estonia, a magnificent polychoral setting of verses from the Song of Songs and St John of the Cross; for soloists, choir and chamber ensemble
(with translations of the non-English passages shown in bold)
I. By Night
By night on my bed I sought him
Whom my soul loveth:
I sought him, but I found him not. /Song of Songs 3:1/
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets,
And in the broad ways /surgam et circuibo, surgam
I will seek him whom my soul loveth…
/ Song of Songs / 3:2/
By night on my bed I sought him
Whom my soul loveth:
I sought him,/ quaesivi illum/ but I found him not./ et non inveni
II. Where you have hidden, Beloved
Where have you hidden,
Beloved, and left me moaning?
You fled like the stag
after wounding me;
I went out calling you, but you were gone. /Cantico espiritual 1/
Seeking my Love / Buscando mis amores
I will head for the mountains and for watersides/ iré por esos montes y riberas
I will not gather flowers,
Nor fear wild beasts;
I will go beyond strong men and frontiers. /Cant. esp. 3/
O woods and thickets, / iré, iré…
Planted by the hand of my Beloved!
O green meadow,
Coated, bright, with flowers,
Tell me, has he passed by you? /Cant. esp. 4/
III. This life that I live
This life that I live
Is no life at all,
And so I die continually
Until I live with you; you…until…you
Hear me, hear me, my God:…you
I do not desire this life,
I am dying because I do not die. /Coplas de Alma 2/
I am dying because I do not die…die…because I do not…
You…because I do not… where have you hidden?…
This life that I live…
I do not desire…
This life… desire… is no life…
And so I die until I live with you…
Until I live… you…you… you…
Esta vida que yo vivo
Es privación de vivir…
Que esta vida no la quiero
Que muero porque no muero
This life that I live
Is no life at all…
I do not desire this life,
I am dying because I do not die.
Esta vida que yo vivo
Es privación de vivir
Y así es continuo morir… continuo morir
Hasta que viva contigo
Oye mi Dios … /Coplas de alma 2/
This life that I live
Is no life at all…
And so I die continually… die continually
Until I live with you
Hear me, my God…
IV. Nigra Sum
Nigra sum sed formosa,
Filiae Ierusalem,
Nigra sum sed formosa,
Filiae Ierusalem, /Ül. 1:5/
I am black, but comely,
O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
I am black, but comely,
O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
Look not upon me,
Look not upon me,
Look not because I am black,
Because the sun hath looked upon me:
Looked upon me…
Look not upon me…upon me… /Cant 1:6/
Nigra sum…
As the tents of Kedar,
As the curtains of Solomon. / Song of Songs 1:5/
This life that I live…
Look not upon me…
Is no life at all…
And so I die until I live with you… /Coplas 2/
Look not upon me…
V. Behold, thou art fair
Behold, thou art fair, behold, my love;
Behold, thou art fair;
Thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks:
Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that
Appear from mount Gilead. / Song of Songs 4:1/
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,
And thy speech is comely:
Thou temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
/ Song of Songs 4:3/
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins,
Which feed among the lilies. / Song of Songs 4:5/
Thy two breasts…
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,
Thou art all fair, my love
Awake, awake, O north wind;
And come, thou south; blow upon my garden,
That the spices thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved come into his garden,
And eat his pleasant fruits…fruits…pleasant fruits…
Awake… awake,
Blow upon my garden… / Song of Songs 4:16/
VI. I am come into my garden
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk:
Eat, O friends; drink, yea, / Veniat dilectus meus
Drink abundantly, O beloved. / Song of Songs 5:1/ in hortum suum
/Let my beloved
/come into his garden
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: /et comedat fructus eius
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; / optimos.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; / Veniat
I have drunk my wine with my milk:/ dilectus meus
Eat, O friends; drink, yea, / in hortum
Drink abundantly, O beloved. suum. / Song of Songs 4:16/
/and eat his pleasant
/fruits.
/Let
/my beloved come
/into his
/garden.
VII. Reveal, reveal your presence
Veniat/ Reveal, reveal,
Reveal your presence,
Reveal your presence, reveal,
Reveal your presence,
Reveal your presence
And may the vision of your beauty be my death,
For the sickness of love is not cured
Except by your very presence and image.
Reveal, reveal,
Reveal your presence/ By night on my bed I sought Him
Reveal your presence
And may the vision of your beauty,
And may the vision of your beauty be my/ I sought Him/ death/ whom my soul loveth
And may the vision of your beauty be my death/ I sought Him but I found Him not / Song of Songs 3:1/
And may the vision of your beauty be my death. /Cant. esp. 11/
VIII. Mira que la dolencia de amor
Mira que la dolencia
De amor, que no se cura
Sino con la presencia y la figura. /Cant. esp.11/
For the sickness of love
Is not cured
Except by your very presence and image
My beloved is the mountains,
And lonely wooded valleys,
Strange islands
And resounding rivers,
The whistling of love-stirring breezes,
The tranquil night
At the time of the rising dawn, /hear me
Silent music,
Sounding solitude/hear me
The supper that refreshes, /hear me/ and deepens love /hear me.
/Cant. esp. 15-16/
Mi amado, las montañas,
Los valles solitarios nemorosos,
Las ínsulas extrañas,
Los ríos sonorosos,
El silbo de los aires amorosos.
My beloved is the mountains,
And lonely wooded valleys,
Strange islands
And resounding rivers,
The whistling of love-stirring breezes.
La noche sosegada
En par de los levantes del aurora,
La soledad Sonora,
La cena que recrea y enamora,
Y enamora,
Y enamora. /Cant. esp. 15-16/
The tranquil night
At the time of the rising dawn,
Sounding solitude,
The supper that refreshes and deepens love,
And deepens love,
And deepens love.
How fair is thy love/ y enamora
My sister, my spouse!
How much better is thy love than wine,
Wine! /Cant 4:10/
Thou hast ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse. /Ül. 4:9/
How much better is thy love than wine…
Thou hast ravished my heart,
Heart,
My heart,
Heart,
Heart,
Thou hast ravished.
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