Original Text
A la xacara xacarilla
de buen garbo y lindo porte
traygo por plato de corte
siendo pasto de la villa.
A la xaxara xacarilla
de novedad de novedades
Aunque a mas de mil novedades
que alegra la navidad.
Vaya vaya de xacarilla
que el altisimo se humilla
vaya vaya de xacara vaya
que el amor pasa de rraya
1. Agora que con la noche
se suspenden nuestras penas
y a pagar culpas agenas
nace un bello Benjami
si el Rey me escuchara a mi
o que bien cantara yo
como ninguno canto
del niño mas prodigioso
2. Con licençia de lo hermoso
Rayos desembayna ardientes
escuchenme los valientes
esta verdadera historia
que al fin se canta la gloria
y a el la cantan al naçer
general se vio el plaçer
quel velo a la tierra embia.
3. Que en los ojos de María
madrugaba un claro sol
Con celestial arrebol
mostro la aurora mas pura
muchos siglos de hermosura
en pocos años de hedad
sino sol era deidad
y el sol es quien la a vestido.
A la xacara xacarilla...
4. Quien como ella le ha tenido
quien como ella le tendra
Virgen y madre sera
del ques sin principio y fin
Serrana y mas serafin
que serrana y que muger
porque Dios quiere nasçer
Apercive su jornada.
5. La bella bien maridada
de las mas lindas que vi
bien es que se diga aqui
de su esposo lo galante
El mas verdadero Amante
y el mas venturoso joben
Sin que los yelos la estorven
dentro de una ave Maria.
6. Muerta de amores venia
la diosa de los amores
saludanla rruiseñores
y por madre de la vida
la daban la bienvenida
perla a perla y flor a flor,
A un portal los llevo amor,
y en la noche mas elada.
A la xacara xacarilla...
7. Miran de çierra nevada
Altos y encumbrados rriscos
En los grandes obeliscos
ya no ay piedra sobre piedra
escollo armado de yedra
Yo te conoci edificio
Ya se miran por rresquisio
las glorias a manos llenas
8. En un rretrete que apenas
se divisan las paredes
esta para hacer mercedes
que en su primer arrebol
dividio se vio el sol
en breve espaçio de çielo
Su gloria puso en el suelo
Con la voluntad mas viva.
12. Y pues no a de ver mas lançes
y mi xacarilla buela
Acabose y acabela
que era de vidrio y quebrela
Acabela y acabose
que estava al yelo y quebrose
Acabose y acabela
questava al yelo y quebrela
A la xacara xacarilla... |
English Translation
To this dance-feast and song-fest,
though it be but village fare
I bring my song with style and flair
as if a platter of the best.
To the dance that tells a tale,
what’s happening, the latest hit:
against a thousand songs to praise
the Birth, this is the best of all.
Tell the tale, tell it, then:
that the Most High became most low!
tell this story in dance and song,
that Love exceeded nature’s bounds.
For now and always, on this night
all that’s wrong is held at bay;
and to set right others’ wrongs
a child of grace is born to us.
If my voice could reach this king,
O! how well I’d sing a song
like no song ever sung before
in praise of this wondrous child!
With permission of the muses—
Here’s a song whose tale is true;
like burning rays its message hits you.
Listen up, kids—I mean you!
At last a praise-song of a hero
whose praise began when he was born.
Everybody danced for joy
on seeing him on earth that morn.
Reflected in María’s eyes
a brilliant sun begins to rise,
sending fire throughout her heavens
to reveal a dawn beyond all dawns
with the beauty of the ages
in her but few years of age,
For this sun that so adorns her
is the Godhead Sun himself.
To this dance-feast and song-fest...
Who like her ever had such beauty?
who like her could ever have it?
Maid, yet mother she will be
of Him without beginning or end.
Mountain-maid, yet more an angel
than maiden, or any woman,
for God now chooses to be born,
and through her womb prepares his path.
That beautiful girl—and I’ve seen beauties!
she married well, I’ll tell you that.
The one she married, what a guy!
A gentleman, a real lover,
He does whatever it takes, and then some,
to take good care of her. Ice and snow
won’t slow him down longer than
it takes to say a Hail Mary.
Dying now of love she comes,
goddess of love, and lover of God;
the nightingales sing her welcome
and greet her, as is right they should
to the mother of Life itself—
pearl to Pearl, and flower to Flower.
To a lowly stable love guides them,
and on the coldest night of nights.
To this dance-feast and song-fest...
Jagged rocks and lofty crags
look down from the snow-capped Sierra;
on those obelisks of nature
there’s not a stone upon a stone.
Shelf of rock enframed in ivy—
yet I know you as a temple!
For on these early-morning visits
glory shines on us in plenty.
In an alcove-space, where hardly
can you see a wall, he lies there,
gently working tender mercies.
In his First-dawn morning glow
the Sun begins to shine upon
this tiny piece of heaven,
brings his glory to us on earth
with a heart aflame with love.
And now at last there are no more verses,
and my jacarilla goes its way.
It comes to its end, so let it end!
It was but glass, so let it break!
End it now, and it is ended,
For it was but of ice that shatters.
It’s at an end, so wrap it up!
it was of ice, so break it up!
To this dance-feast and song-fest... |
