28.12.17

Tinnitus, Tinnitus

Today's holiday song, "Jingle Bells," originally entitled "The One Horse Open Sleigh," was first published in 1857. You can find the English lyrics, MIDI files and sheet music at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website. There is also a Wikipedia article about this carol.

I've found several different versions online. The first version is partial, while the other version is more complete. In addition, there is a "Horse-Race Song," Carmen Circense, by T.W. Melluish, which uses the melody and motifs of "Jingle Bells," although it is not a Christmas song. You can find it online at the ARLT Latin Songbook.

Version 1, by James Pierpont. (It is included in vicifons, the Latin Wikisource.)

Nantes per nives
in aperta traha
trans agros imus
omnes ridentes.
Tintinna tintinnant
animose sic,
laetissimi nos canimus
canticum hac nocte.

Tinnitus, tinnitus,
semper tinnitus!
O tantum est gaudium
Dum vehimur in traha! Ha!


Version 2. Translated by Charles Mierow.

Nives, glacies,
nox, puertia!
Risus decet nunc,
decent carmina!
Laetos iuvat nos
ire per agros!
Traha fert velociter,
et cachinemus nos!

CHORUS:
Tinniat, tinniat
tintinnabulum!
Labimur in glacie
post mulum curtum!
Tinniat, tinniat
tintinnabulum!
Labimur in glacie
post mulum curtum!


Me nuper miserum
temptavit lunae lux!
Mox assidebat mihi
puella facti dux!
Vecti subito
in nivis cumulos:
caballus est perterritus
et tunc eversi nos!

CHORUS.

Solum scintillat,
nive candidum.
Repetatur nunc
concentus carminum!
Canities absit,
morosa omnibus!
Puellulas cum pueris
delectat hic cursus.

CHORUS.


Version 3. Unattributed, online at this Kealing.org website.

Cursu rapido
Trahea nostra ducimur
In agro niveo.
Risus editur.
Tintinnabula
Sonant. Maxima
Omnes laetitia
Nunc canimus ea:
Tinniunt, tinniunt
Tintinnabula.
Iuvat et delectat nos
Vehi cito trahea,
Tinniunt, tinniunt
Tintinnabula.
Iuvat et delectat nos
Vehi cito trahea!
Curro iungo equulum,
Qui vecturus trahula,
Et una est mecum
Puella lepida.
Exilis equulus
in nivem incidit,
Inopinato, funditis.
Quod traham proruit.
Tinniunt, tinniunt
Tintinnabula …


Here is Keith Massey performing Version 2!


2 comments:

Florian said...

There is a music video of version 2 done by Keith Massey here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSqNUFVDisk

Laura Gibbs said...

EUGAE! I'll add it to the post right now!