Adam lay ybounden

Adam lay ybounden
Single surviving manuscript source of "Adam lay ybounden" in the Sloane Manuscript 2593 held by the British Library.

"Adam lay ybounden", originally titled Adam lay i-bowndyn[1] is a 15th century macaronic English text of unknown authorship. The manuscript on which the poem is found, (Sloane 2593, ff.10v-11), is held by the British Library, who date the work to c.1400 and speculate that the lyrics may have belonged to a wandering minstrel; other poems included on same page in the manuscript include "I have a gentil cok", the famous lyric poem "I syng of a mayden" and two riddle songs - "A minstrel's begging song" and "I have a yong suster".[2]

The Victorian antiquarian Thomas Wright suggests that although there is consensus that the lyrics date from the reign of Henry V of England (1387–1422), the songs themselves may be rather earlier.[3] Wright continues to speculate, on the basis of the dialect, that the lyrics probably originate in Warwickshire, and suggests that a number of the songs were intended for use in mystery plays.[3]

Contents

Analysis

Adam lay ybounden relates the events of Genesis, Chapter 3. In medieval theology, Adam was supposed to have remained in bonds with the other patriarchs in the limbus patrum from the time of his death until the crucifixion of Christ (the "4000 winters").[4] The second verse narrates the Fall of Man following Adam's temptation by Eve and the serpent. John Speirs suggests that there is a tone of astonishment, almost incredulity in the phrase "and all was for an apple", noting "an apple, such as a boy might steal from an orchard, seems such a little thing to produce such overwhelming consequences. Yet so it must be because clerks say so. It is in their book (probably meaning the Vulgate itself)."[5]

The third verse suggests the subsequent redemption of man by the birth of Jesus Christ by Mary, who was to become the Queen of Heaven as a result,[6] and thus the song concludes on a positive note hinting at Thomas Aquinas' concept of the "felix culpa" (blessed fault).[5] Paul Morris suggests that the text's evocation of Genesis implies a "fall upwards.[7] Speirs suggests that the lyric retells the story in a particularly human way: "The doctrine of the song is perfectly orthodox...but here is expressed very individually and humanly. The movement of the song reproduces very surely the movements of a human mind."[5]

Text

Middle English original spelling[8] Middle English converted[9]

Adam lay i-bowndyn,

bowndyn in a bond,

Fowre thowsand wynter

thowt he not to long

Adam lay ybounden,

Bounden in a bond;

Four thousand winter,

Thought he not too long.

And al was for an appil,

an appil that he tok.

As clerkes fyndyn wretyn

in here book.

And all was for an apple,

An apple that he took.

As clerkes finden,

Written in their book.

Ne hadde the appil take ben,

the appil taken ben,

Ne hadde never our lady

a ben hevene quen.

Ne had the apple taken been,

The apple taken been,

Ne had never our ladie,

Abeen heav'ne queen.

Blyssid be the tyme

that appil take was!

Therefore we mown syngyn

Deo gracias!

Blessed be the time

That apple taken was,

Therefore we moun singen.

Deo gracias!

Settings

The text was originally meant to be a song text, although no music survives. However, there are many notable 20th century choral settings of the text, with diverse interpretations by several English composers, including Peter Warlock,[10] John Ireland,[11] Boris Ord,[12] Philip Ledger,[13] Carson Cooman[14] and Benjamin Britten (titled Deo Gracias in his Ceremony of Carols).[15]

Boris Ord's setting is probably the best-known version as a result of its traditional performance following the First Lesson at the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, where Ord was organist between 1929-57.[12] A new setting by Giles Swayne was commissioned for and first performed in 2009 by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and their annual broadcast of the Advent carol service on BBC Radio 3.[16]

References

  1. ^ Thomas Wright, Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century, (London: T. Richards, 1856)
  2. ^ Medieval lyrics at the British Library Online, URL accessed December 31, 2009
  3. ^ a b Thomas Wright, Songs and carols printed from a manuscript in the Sloane collection in the British museum (London: W. Pickering, 1836), vi
  4. ^ Thomas Wright, Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century, (London: T. Richards, 1856), p.109
  5. ^ a b c John Speirs, Medieval English Poetry: The Non-Chaucerian Tradition (London: Faber & Faber, 1957), pp.65-66
  6. ^ Sarah Jane Boss, Empress and handmaid: on nature and gender in the cult of the Virgin Mary (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000) ISBN 9780304707812 p.114
  7. ^ Paul Morris, A walk in the garden: biblical, iconographical and literary images of Eden (London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 1992) ISBN 9781850753384, p.33
  8. ^ Thomas Wright, Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century, (London: T. Richards, 1856), pp.32-33
  9. ^ Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), p.163
  10. ^ Peter Warlock, lay ybounden, Choral Public Domain Library, Retrieved 22 November 2010
  11. ^ John Ireland, Adam lay ybounden, Choral Public Domain Library, Retrieved 22 November 2010
  12. ^ a b A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2003, Retrieved 22 November 2010
  13. ^ Philip Ledger published works, Retrieved 22 November 2010
  14. ^ Carson Cooman, "Adam Lay Ybounden, for chorus & organ", Op.576 - Sacred Choral Music (Naxos 8.559361)
  15. ^ Corinne Saunders, A Companion to Medieval Poetry (London: John Wiley and Sons, 2010) ISBN 9781405159630 272
  16. ^ A Service For Advent With Carols, Live From The Chapel Of St John's College, Cambridge, Sunday 29 November

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Adam Lay Ybounden — alternatively titled Deo Gracias , is a 15th Century English text of unknown authorship, found in the Sloane Manuscript 2593. It is believed by the British Library to have belonged to a wandering minstrel. Text Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bo …   Wikipedia

  • Adam Lay Bound — (15th century)    The early 15th century MIDDLE ENGLISH lyric beginning “Adam lay ybounden” is a fresh and lively lyric expression of the traditional theological concept of the felix culpa or fortunate fall. This doctrine held that while our… …   Encyclopedia of medieval literature

  • List of Christmas carols — A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics center on the theme of Christmas or that has become associated with the Christmas season even though its lyrics may not specifically refer to Christmas. Both types of Christmas carols are included in this …   Wikipedia

  • Nine Lessons and Carols — The Adoration of the Magi (1634) by Peter Paul Rubens, which hangs behind the altar in King s College Chapel, Cambridge. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format for a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus that is …   Wikipedia

  • Peter Warlock — was a pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine (30 October 1894 17 December 1930), an Anglo Welsh composer and music critic. Although he used his own name when writing as a music critic, he composed under the pseudonym Peter Warlock and is now better …   Wikipedia

  • Boris Ord — (born Bernhard Ord) was organist and choirmaster of King s College, Cambridge between 1929 and 1957, though Harold Darke deputised during World War II whilst Ord served in the Royal Air Force.He was born at Clifton, Bristol on 9 July 1897 and… …   Wikipedia

  • A Ceremony of Carols — A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28, is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten, scored for three part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. Written for Christmas, it consists of eleven movements, with text from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, by Gerald …   Wikipedia

  • Robyn and Gandeleyn — is Child ballad 115. It may be an early ballad of Robin Hood.ynopsisRobyn kills a deer and is shot and killed. Gandeleyn looks about for the killer and finds Wrennok of Donne. They exchange words, and Gandeleyn says they shall shoot at a mark of… …   Wikipedia

  • Christmas night (album) — “Christmas Night” (subtitled “Carols of the Nativity”) is a Christmas themed album by The Cambridge Singers conducted by John Rutter. Most songs are sung a capella, on others the choir is accompanied by The City of London Sinfonia. It was first… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark Daniel Merritt — (b. New London, CT[1] 1961) (ASCAP) is an American composer and arranger with published choral works mostly for church choirs. Merritt s recent commissions,[2][3] include a commission in 2007 partially funded by the Kentucky Arts Council, to… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”