Ben Jonson: I Sing the Birth Was Borne to Night: Hymn
Christ is born! Glorify Him! As a supplement to my typical translations, I am beginning to post music as well. Some of it includes simple transcriptions of hymns (such as my recent transcription of the chant Humani Generis Cessent Suspiria ); others will be translations of hymns set to old melodies. Some may be original poems of mine set to old melodies; still others will be poems (my own or others') set to music I have composed. I have no delusions of grandeur regarding my own musical ability, but I think some of the choices of texts, at least, might warrant my meager attempts. The hymn included here is an example. The poem set here is by Ben Jonson (1572-1637), one of the most important poets and playwrights of the English Renaissance. This poem--originally entitled "A Hymne on the Nativitie of My Saviour"--was included by Jonson in a proposed collection of verse entitled Under-wood (the title being a sequel to an earlier collection, The Forr...