| Como Santa María livrou a mollér prenne que non morresse no mar e fez-lle aver fillo dentro nas ondas. |
How Holy Mary saved the pregnant woman from being drowned in the sea and caused her to have her child beneath the waves. The story begins thus: |
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| Acorrer-nos póde e de mal guardar |
The Mother of God can save us |
She, the Mother of our Lord, is true and sure, |
| a Madre de Déus, se per nós non ficar. |
and keep us from harm if we trust in Her. |
And She will protect us if we trust in Her. |
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| Acorrer-nos póde quando xe quisér |
She can save us whenever She so wills |
Her ability to rescue is profound, |
| e guardar de mal cada que lle prouguér, |
and defend from harm each one who has Her favor, |
Shielding anyone who Her favor has found. |
| ben como guardou ?a póbre mollér |
just as She protected an unfortunate woman |
She once saved a woman who almost was drowned: |
| que cuidou morrer enas ondas do mar. |
who almost drowned in the sea. |
A marvelous wonder She made to occur. |
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| Eno mar que cerca o mund' arredor, |
I wish to tell you a great miracle |
In the ocean which encircles all the world, |
| na térra que chaman Bretanna Maior, |
which the Holy Mother of Our Lord performed |
Where the sea by Cornwall in Great Britain swirled, |
| fez a Santa Madre de Nóstro Sennor |
near the land they call Great Britain |
The Mother so holy Her power unfurled: |
| un gran miragre que vos quéro contar. |
in the sea which encircles the world. |
I'll tell of the wonder to which I refer. |
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| O miragre foi muit' apóst' e mui bél |
The miracle was wondrous and beautiful |
Full astounding was the miracle I tell: |
| que Santa María fez por San Miguél, |
which Holy Mary performed for Saint Michael, |
Mary for Saint Michael the waves did compel; |
| que é companneiro de San Gabrïél, |
companion of Saint Gabriel, |
He is the companion of Saint Gabriel, |
| o ángeo que a v?o saüdar. |
the angel who came to deliver the Annunciation to Her. |
The one who to Mary was God's messenger. |
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| De San Migaél, o ángeo de Déus, |
A hermitage of Saint Michael, angel of God, |
Of Saint Michael, angel, one who saw God's face, |
| éra ?' ermida, u muitos roméus |
was there, where many pilgrims |
Is a hermitage on an isle in that place, |
| ían i rogar polos pecados séus, |
went to pray |
Where come many pilgrims to pray for God's grace |
| que Déus llos quisésse por el perdõar. |
that God would pardon their sins. |
And that for their sins He would give them the cure. |
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| O logar éra de mui gran devoçôn, |
The place was very revered, |
To that sacred place the people honor showed, |
| mas non podía óm' alá ir, se non |
but no one could go there until |
But at only low tide could they take the road; |
| menguass' ant' o mar, ca en outra sazôn |
the tide went out, for at other times |
At high tide the seawater over it flowed: |
| non podía ren ên saír nen entrar. |
nothing could leave nor enter there. |
To leave or to enter nobody could stir. |
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| E porend' un día av?o assí |
It happened that one day |
Once a pregnant woman thought that she would go, |
| que ?a mollér prenne entrou per i; |
a pregnant woman was trying to cross, |
And she went to cross when the water was low; |
| mais o mar creceu e colleu-a alí, |
but the sea came up and trapped her, |
The sea rose and trapped her because she was slow, |
| e non se pod' ir, tanto non pod' andar. |
and she could not get out for she could not walk fast enough. |
For much did the baby her walking deter. |
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| A póbre mollér, macar quis, non fogiu, |
The poor woman, although she tried, could not get away, |
She could not escape, no matter how she sped. |
| ca o mar de todas partes a cobriu; |
for the sea covered her completely. |
Very soon the water was over her head, |
| e pois s' a mesquinna en tal coita viu, |
Seeing herself in such a plight, |
And seeing that she and her child would be dead, |
| começou Santa María de chamar. |
she began to call on Holy Mary. |
She started to cry out to Mary the pure. |
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| A mollér sen falla coidou a f?ir |
The woman thought that she surely |
Never, thought she, would she walk upon the earth |
| quando viu o mar que a v?o cobrir; |
would perish when she saw the sea wash over her. |
When the sea came roaring for all it was worth; |
| e demais chegou-ll' o tempo de parir, |
Moreover, the time came for her to give birth, |
And then did the time come for her to give birth, |
| e por tod' esto non cuidou escapar. |
and there was no way she could escape. |
And there was no way to escape or endure. |
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| Mais a Santa Virgen que ela rogou |
However, the Holy Virgin to whom she prayed |
Oh, but when she prayed, the Virgin heard her plea. |
| oiu-lle séu rógu', e tan tóste chegou |
heard her plea and came at once. |
She spread out Her sleeve over her lovingly |
| e a súa manga sobr' ela parou |
She spread Her sleeve over her |
And helped her to safely give birth in the sea. |
| que a fez parir e as ondas quedar. |
and caused her to give birth and calmed the waves. |
At Her will, the waves calm and motionless were. |
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| Pois Santa María, a Sennor de prez, |
After Holy Mary, Lady of Great Worth, |
After Holy Mary, most glorious one, |
| este miragre daquela mollér fez, |
performed this miracle for that woman, |
For that happy woman this wonder had done, |
| con séu fill' a póbre se foi essa vez |
she went at once to Saint Michael with her son |
At once she rejoiced and took up her new son |
| lóg' a San Miguél o miragre mostrar. |
to tell of it. |
And went to Saint Michael, the tale to confer. |
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| Alfonso X el Sabio, King of Castile and León |
Alfonso. Songs of Holy Mary of Alfonso X, the Wise: A Translation of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Trans. Kathleen Kulp-Hill. Tempe, AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2000. Print. |
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