Songs My mother taught me Programme — Cat's Cradle Collective

Songs my mother taught me

programme

Programme

Charles Ives / António Sá-Dantas,
Songs my mother taught me

Songs my mother taught me
in the days long vanished,
Seldom from her eyelids
were the tear drops banished.

Now I teach my children
each melodious measure;
Often tears are flowing
from my memory’s treasure.

Alfred Heyduk, translation by Natalie Macfarren

Luís Mota, Melodias

Eu já fui vento, já fui areia
Senhora d’Ascenção
seu caminho pedras tem.
Se não fizesse milagres
aqui não vinha ninguém…

Once, I was wind, I was sand.
Lady of Assumption,
your way is full of stones.
If you didn’t make miracles,
no one would come to you

Jack Prelutsky, The Bogeyman

Fonte, Às vezes lencinho, outras vezes cantinho

Minha mãe, minha avó…
lencinho…

My mother, my grandmother…
a scarf…

Carrie Shipers, Mother Talks Back to the Monster

António Sá-Dantas, O.M.I. Over my imagination

Oh papão vai-te embora
de cima desse telhado
deixa o menino dormir
um soninho descansado

Alecrim, alecrim aos molhos
por causa de ti
choram os meus olhos

Oh Bogeyman go away,
from the roof up high
let the boy sleep,
a calm sleepy night.

Rosemary, rosemary in the fields,
because of you
my eyes are full of tears.

Vincenzo Di Francesco, Valsugana

Quando saremo fora,
fora dela Valsugana
noi andrem a trovar la mama,
per veder come la sta.

When we are out,
out of Valsugana,
we will go and visit mum,
to see how she is doing.

Fernando Pessoa, Poema do menino Jesus

Poem of Child Jesus, translated by Richard Zénith

António Sá-Dantas, menino

Ele dorme dentro da minha alma
e às vezes acorda de noite
e brinca com os meus sonhos.
Vira uns de pernas para o ar,
põe uns em cima dos outros
e bate as palmas sorrindo
para o meu sono.

He sleeps within my soul
and sometimes wakes at night
and plays with my dreams.
He turns some upside down,
throws some on top of others
and applauds his own efforts
smiling at my sleepiness.

Fernando Pessoa, Poema do menino translated by Richard Zénith

Nossa Senhora faz meia
com linha feita de luz.
O novelo é lua cheia
As meias são prós meninos.

Our Lady knits socks on a loom
with thread made out of light
the yarn is a full moon
the socks are the boy’s right.

António Nobre, text variation and translation by A. Sá-Dantas

Gustav Holst / Vicente Chavarría, In the bleak midwinter

1.
In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron Water like a stone

Snow had fallen
Snow on snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter
Long, long ago

3.
Angels and Arc Angels
May have traveled there
Cherubim & Seraphim
Thronged the air

But only his Mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshiped the beloved
With a kiss

4.
What can I give him?
Poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would give a lamb

If I were a wise man
I would do my part yet
what I can I give him
Give him my heart

Christina Rossetti (excerpts)

William Shakespeare, When icicles hang by the wall

Darren Sng, …bleak midwinter…

António Sá-Dantas, chapéu

Fernando Pessoa, Dirty unknown child

translated by Richard Zénith

Bartók, Tót Nóta 1 & 2

Jorge Ramos, Layers

Johannes Brahms / orch: A. Sá-Dantas, In stiller Nacht

In stiller Nacht, zur ersten Wacht,
ein Stimm’ begunnt zu klagen,
der nächt’ge Wind hat süß und lind
zu mir den Klang getragen.

Von herben Leid und Traurigkeit
ist mir das Herz zerflossen,
die Blümelein, mit Tränen rein
hab’ ich sie all’ begossen.

Der schöne Mond will untergahn,
für Leid nicht mehr mag scheinen,
die Sterne lan ihr Glitzen stahn,
mit mir sie wollen weinen.

Kein Vogelsang noch Freudenklang
man höret in den Lüften,
die wilden Tier’
trauern auch mit mir
in Steinen und in Klüften.

In the quiet night, at the first watch,
a voice began to lament;
sweetly and gently, the night wind
carried to me its sound.

From such bitter sorrow and grief
my heart has melted.
The little flowers - with my pure tears
I have watered them all.

The beautiful moon wishes to set
out of pain, and never shine again;
the stars will let fade their gleam
for they wish to weep with me.

Neither bird-song nor sound of joy
can one hear in the air;
the wild animals
grieve with me as well,
upon the rocks and in the ravines.

Translation by Emily Ezust

William Shakespeare — scene from Romeo and Juliet

António Sá-Dantas — à janela (by the window)

Menina estás à janela
com o teu cabelo à lua
não me vou daqui embora
sem levar uma prenda tua.

Os olhos requerem olhos
e os corações, corações
e os meus requerem os teus
em todas ocasiões, menina.

My lady, you’re by the window
with your hair under the moon,
I won’t leave here
without a gift from you.

Eyes need eyes
and hearts need hearts,
and mine need yours,
always, my lady.

Samuel Gapp — Eu de cá e tu de lá

Eu de cá e tu de lá
e o rio ao meio.
Segura da tua banda
que eu da minha não arreio.

Já comi já bebi
e agora já estou melhor.
Até agora amava a lua
e agora já amo o sol.

Me on my side, you on yours,
and the river between us.
You hold your side,
from mine I won’t budge.

I ate and drank
and now I’m feeling better.
Until now I loved the moon
and now I love the sun.

António Sá-Dantas, Scarborough fair
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Without no seams nor needle work
Then she'll be a true love of mine

Tell her to wash it in yonder dry well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Where water ne'er sprung, nor drop of rain fell,
And then she'll be a true love of mine.

Tell her to find me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Between the sea foam and the sea sand,
And then she’ll be a true love of mine.

António Sá-Dantas, Alecrim

Gustav Holst / António Sá-Dantas (orch.), Swansea Town

Text Copyright

Pessoa/Caeiro, Poem of Child Jesus (excerpt)
Pessoa/Caeiro, Dirty unknown child
Translated by Richard Zénith
Grove Press; Updated edition (15 Mar. 2022)