| Como Santa María feze estar o monge trezentos anos ao canto da passarinna, porque lle pedía que lle mostrasse qual éra o ben que avían os que éran en Paraíso. |
How Holy Mary caused the monk to remain for three hundred years listening to the song of the bird because he asked Her to show him what manner of bliss those in Paradise enjoyed. |
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| Quena Virgen ben servirá |
He who serves the Virgin well |
To the Virgin devotion show: |
| a Paraíso irá. |
will go to Paradise. |
To Paradise you will go. |
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| E daquest' un gran miragre | vos quér' éu óra contar, |
Concerning this, I wish to tell you now of a great miracle |
A miracle I will tell you, | Great and wonderful and strong; |
| que fezo Santa María | por un monge, que rogar |
which Holy Mary performed for monk who always begged Her |
The Virgin performed it kindly | For a monk who for so long |
| ll' ía sempre que lle mostrasse | qual ben en Paraís' á |
to show him what manner of bliss there is in Paradise and |
Begged the Virgin to show him Heaven, | The bliss that angels all know. |
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| E que o viss' en sa vida | ante que fosse morrer. |
to grant that he might see it in his lifetime before he died. |
He wanted to see this pleasure | Once before he passed away. |
| E porend' a Grorïosa | vedes que lle foi fazer: |
Therefore, behold what the Glorious One did for him. |
Behold what the Virgin gave him, | She the Glorious Star of Day: |
| fez-lo entrar en ?a órta | en que muitas vezes ja |
She made him enter into a garden which on many occasions he had entered before. |
For She made him go to a garden, | To where he often would go. |
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| Entrara; mais aquel día | fez que ?a font' achou |
However, that day She caused him to find |
But when he went to the garden, | This time he a fountain found, |
| mui crara e mui fremosa, | e cab' ela s' assentou. |
a very clear and beautiful fountain, and he sat down beside it. |
So clear and so very lovely, | And beside it he sat down. |
| E pois lavou mui ben sas mãos, | diss': "Ai, Virgen, que será |
After he had thoroughly washed his hands, he said: "Oh, Virgin, |
After washing his hands completely, | He cried to Mary like so: |
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| Se verei do Paraíso, | o que ch' éu muito pidí, |
"if only, as I have so often asked you, |
"O Virgin and Queen, if only | I could glimpse Your Paradise, |
| algún pouco de séu viço | ante que sáia daquí, |
I might see a little of trhe beauty of Paradise before I leave this world |
As I have so often asked You, | Ere I leave this world of vice. |
| e que sábia do que ben óbra | que galardôn averá?" |
and might know what reward awaits him who has lived a good life here." |
Let me see the reward awaiting | The true believers below." |
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| Tan tóste que acabada | ouv' o monj' a oraçôn, |
As soon as the monk had finished his prayer, |
And just as he finished praying, | Then a bird began to sing |
| oiu ?a passarinna | cantar lógu' en tan bon son, |
he heard a little bird begin to sing in such beautiful tones |
In beautiful tones, so pure that | He lost track of everything, |
| que se escaeceu seendo | e catando sempr' alá. |
that he became completely entranced and lent all his attention to it. |
And entranced by its lovely singing, | No other thought could he know. |
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| Atán gran sabor avía | daquel cant' e daquel lais, |
He took such great pleasure in the marvelous song |
Such pleasure he took in hearing | And so wonderful the song, |
| que grandes trezentos anos | estevo assí, ou mais, |
that he remained thus for three hundred long years or more, |
He stayed there throughout three hundred | Years, or maybe twice as long, |
| cuidando que non estevéra | senôn pouco, com' está |
thinking he had been there only a little while, |
Thinking that he was in the garden | A single moment or so, |
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| Monj' alg?a vez no ano, | quando sal ao vergéu. |
as a monk on occasion will take a little stroll in the garden. |
As monks sometimes stroll in gardens | Thinking 'til the sun has fled. |
| Des i foi-s' a passarinna, | de que foi a el mui gréu, |
Then the bird went away, which saddened him greatly, |
At long last, the bird went flying, | And he sadly sighed and said: |
| e diz: "éu daquí ir-me quéro, | ca oi mais comer querrá |
and he said: "I will leave this place now, for it is time for the community to eat." |
"Now I'll leave, for the time is coming | When monks to dinner must go." |
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| O convent'." E foi-se lógo | e achou un gran portal |
He departed at once and found a large gate |
Departing then in a hurry, | He saw a colossal gate |
| que nunca vira, e disse: | "Ai, Santa María, val! |
which he had never seen, and he said: "Holy Mary, protect me! |
He never had seen, and cried out, | "Mary, save me from my state! |
| Non é est' o méu mõesteiro, | pois de mi que se fará?" |
This is not my monastery! What will become of me?" |
This is not my own monastery! | Alas, where am I? Oh no!" |
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| Des i entrou na eigreja, | e ouvéron gran pavor |
He entered the church, and the monks were startled |
He entered the church, bewildered, | And the monks there were surprised |
| os monges quando o viron, | e demandou-ll' o prïor, |
when they saw him. The prior |
On seeing a stranger enter. | And the prior, when advised |
| dizend': "Amigo, vós quen sodes | ou que buscades acá?" |
asked him: "My friend, who are you and what seek you here?" |
Of the visitor, asked, "Who are you? | What business have you to show?" |
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| Diss' el: "Busco méu abade, | que agor' aquí leixei, |
He replied: "I seek my abbot, whom I left here just now, |
The monk then replied, "I'm looking | For my abbot and, somehow, |
| e o prïor e os frades, | de que mi agora quitei |
and the prior and the friars from whom I took my leave a little while ago |
The prior and all the friars, | All of whom I left just now |
| quando fui a aquela órta; | u séen quen mio dirá?" |
when I went to that garden. Who can tell me where they are?" |
When I went to that little garden. | Where are they? Where did they go?" |
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| Quand' est' oiu o abade, | teve-o por de mal sen, |
When the abbot heard this, he took it for madness |
The abbot, when he had heart this, | Thought the monk was wholly mad, |
| e outrossí o convento; | mais des que soubéron ben |
and so did the community. However, as soon as they learned |
And so did the other monks there; | But when the true tale they had, |
| de como fora este feito, | disséron: "Quen oïrá |
of how it had happened, they said: "Who will ever hear |
They believed in the wondrous story | And awe continued to grow. |
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| Nunca tan gran maravilla | como Déus por este fez |
"of such a great miracle has God as performed for this monk |
They said, "What a boundless wonder | God has done for this man here, |
| polo rógo de sa Madre, | Virgen santa de gran prez! |
because of the intercession of His Mother, the Peerless Holy Virgin? |
Because of the intercession | Of the Virgin without peer! |
| E por aquesto a loemos; | mais quena non loará |
Let us praise Her for this, but who will not praise Her |
Let us praise Her, for all will praise Her | Far more than any we know. |
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| Mais d' outra cousa que seja? | Ca, par Déus, gran dereit' é, |
"above all else? For, in God's name, it is only right, |
"It's right that we sing Her praises: | All appeals to Her addressed |
| pois quanto nós lle pedimos | nos dá séu Fill', a la fé, |
since all we ask of Her, Her Son grants us |
Her Son, the Anointed, grants us, | And because of Her request, |
| por ela, e aquí nos móstra | o que nos depois dará". |
because of Her persuasion. Here He reveals to us what He will grant us later." |
He reveals to us what comes later, | So we His bounty may know." |
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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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