El Rossinyol (Traditional)

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• (Posted 2006-08-04)  CPDL #12202:        (Sibelius 4)

Editor: Mick Swithinbank (submitted 2006-08-04).   Score information: Letter, 3 pages, 84 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: El Rossinyol
Composer: Anonymous (Traditional)

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Folksong

Language: Catalan

Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: 

Notes by Mick Swithinbank

1. Suggested tempo

As this is a lament, it would be better not to take it at too jolly a tempo, even if the music might appear to lend itself to that.

2. Approximate pronunciation of the Catalan text

… using the International Phonetic Alphabet where possible, but some symbols do not upload (see below for a key to the pronunciation system)

ru:sinjol kə vaza fransa ru:sinjol
ənkuma:nam a la ma:rə ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.
ənkuma:nam a la ma:rə ru:sinjol
ja mun pa:rə no pas gairə ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.
pərke ma malmaridada ru:sinjol
a u:n pastor me na da:da ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.
kəm fa gwa:rda la ramada ru:sinjol
i e perdu:da leskeλa:da ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.
ʒo: te: de: donar per paga ru:sinjol
u:n petoi u:n abrasa:da ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.
ru:sinjol kə vaza fransa ru:sinjol
ənkuma:nam a la ma:rə ru:sinjol
du:n be:λ bu:ka:dʒə ru:sinjol
du:n bol.

Key
ə = the 'schwa' sound - the most common vowel in English and a common one in Catalan too: the first sound in 'alone', the last in 'matter' (assuming that no r is sounded). So the word 'que', rendered phonetically as kə, is pronounced as in French, not as by Manuel in Fawlty Towers.
u = the vowel of 'soon'
d = mostly pronounced with the tongue close to the upper teeth, sounds between English d and the 'th' of 'these'
ʒ = the s in 'measure'
dʒ = the j of 'jam'
j = the y of 'yellow'
λ = Spanish ll (llamar), Italian gl (consiglio)
A colon lengthens a vowel

3. English summary of the text

'Nightingale leaving for France, give my love to my mother, but not to my father. He has married me to a shepherd, who makes me guard the flock, and I have lost the bell-wether. I have nothing to reward you with, nightingale: nothing but a kiss.'

4. Sources of the words and music

Traditional Catalan song. The melody shown here is a compromise between that used in a setting by A. Pérez Moya and that sung on a recording by Joan Manuel Serrat. A Catalan colleague of mine recognised that the words used in Pérez Moya's setting were very incomplete and he managed to find the full text on a website for me. The harmonisation is by myself, though partly influenced by the other sources I have mentioned.

Original text and translations

Catalan text Rossinyol que vas a França, rossinyol, encomana'm a la mare, rossinyol, d'un bell bocatge rossinyol, d'un vol. Encomana'm a la mare, rossinyol, i a mon pare no pas gaire, rossinyol, d'un bell bocatge, rossinyol, d'un vol. A mon pare no pas gaire, rossinyol, perquè a un pastor me n’ha dada, rossinyol, d'un bell bocatge, rossinyol, d'un vol. Perquè a un pastor me n’ha dada, rossinyol, que em fa guardar la ramada, rossinyol, d'un bell bocatge, rossinyol, d'un vol.

Esperanto translation Ekfluganta al Francio, najtingal', vi salutu la patrinon, najtingal', per tril', fluganta najtingal', sen fal'. Vi salutu la patrinon, najtingal', sed neniom mian patron, najtingal', per tril', fluganta najtingal', sen fal'. Sed neniom mian patron, najtingal', ĉar li min trudedzinigis, najtingal', per tril', fluganta najtingal', sen fal'. Ĉar li min trudedzinigis, najtingal', al paŝtisto min alligis, najtingal', per tril', fluganta najtingal', sen fal'. Translation by Jaume Grau Casas