Christmas carols: Oi Betleem!
This is a Basque carol with English lyrics written by Sabine Baring-Gould. I found a version sung in the original Basque on YouTube, but it was absolutely terrible, so I'm embedding an English-language version, instead.
Just to remind you of what a truly funky language Basque is, I'm copying out the first verse and English gloss:
Oi Betleem!
Ala egun zoure gloriak,
Oi Betleem!
Hanitch beitu distiatzen!
Zoure ganik heltu argiak,
Bethatzen tu bazter guziak,
Oi Betleem!
O Bethlehem! Ah! how your glory today shines out brightly! The light that comes from you fills every corner.
Unknown choir:
Honorable Mention:
Like I said, I couldn't find a good Basque-language version on YouTube, but I did find this version by The American Boychoir at Yahoo Music.
3 Comments:
You found one of my favorites!
Ha! You have some very obscure Christmas carol favorites, even by my standards. ;)
I learned the first Basque verse as a choirboy in the 1940s. A better English verse:
Oh, Bethlehem, Who gavest birth to Our Redeemer, O happy town!(repeat)
Glorious and great is thy renown,
For 'tis from thee came forth the light
That shines in heart and home tonight!
Oh, Bethlehem, O happy town!
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