The Arbor Consort

I love, alas, I love thee

More Morley.

Sung so very, very well by the King’s Singers here.

Lyrics from CPDL:

I love, alas, I love thee, my dainty darling.
Come kiss me then, Amaryllis,
More lovely than sweet Phyllis.

Poor Phyllis. Of course, we all know she gets hers, eventually.

A favorite among a few of our members (though never a huge favorite of mine!) Matona Mia Cara by Orlando de Lassus is definitely fun to sing. It’s the song sung by a German mercenary, serenading an Italian woman. He gets his words all jumbled up, but in the end he is able to make his intentions perfectly clear… read the English translation, provided here. It’s not as crude as the one we’ve got in our books. If you’re curious, we’ll be happy to share the more vulgar version with you at Blackrock Medieval Summer Fest in July!

Italian text from CPDL 
Matona, mia cara, Mi follere canzon,
Cantar sotto finestra, Lantze bon compagnon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Ti prego m’ascoltare, che mi cantar de bon,
E mi ti foller bene, come greco e capon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Comandar alle cacce, cacciar, cacciar con le falcon,
Mi ti portar becacce, grasse come rognon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Se mi non saper dire, tante belle razon,
Petrarcha mi non saper, Ne fonte d’Helicon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Se ti mi foller bene, mi non esser poltron,
Mi ficcar tutta notte urtar, urtar, urtar come monton,
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.

English Translation from Lasksongsings.com (an excellent source for further reading):

“My dear Lady, I’d love to sing a song below your window.

I’m a lancer, and a good lad. Please listen to me, for I sing well, and I love you greatly, as a Greek does his capon.

When I go hunting, hunting with a falcon, I’ll bring you woodcocks as fat as a kidney.

Though I do not know so many elegant phases, and know nothing of Petrarch, or the fountain of Helicon, if you’ll have me, I’m no laggard, I’ll make love to you all night long, thrusting like a ram.”

A properly irreverant performance by the Hilliard ensemble follows:

Dindirin (anonymous)

The King’s Singers will explain some more of what the song is about, and where it comes from.  Enjoy!

Lyrics from (cpdl)

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Je me levé un bel maitin,

Matineta per la prata;

encontré le ruyseñor,

que cantaba so la rama, dindirindin.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Encontré le ruyseñor,

que cantaba so la rama,

“Ruyseñor, le ruyseñor,

facteme aquesta embaxata,

dindirin din.”

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

“Ruyseñor, le ruyseñor,

facteme aquesta embaxata,

Y digalo a mon ami:

que je ya só maritata, dindirindin.”

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Translation (from cpdl)

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

I arose one fine day

and spent the morning in the meadow;

I heard the nightengale

singing on the bough, din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

I heard the nightengale

singing on the bough,

Nightengale, oh nightengale,

do this errand for me,

din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Nightengale, oh nightengale,

do this errand for me,

tell my lover

that I am already married! Din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.