Ça, Bergers, Assemblons Nous

Traditional French, 16th Century

Ça, bergers, assemblons-nous,
Allons voir le Messie;
Cherchons cet enfant si doux
Dans les bras de Marie.
Je l’entends, il nous appelle tous,
O sort digne d’envie.

Laissons là tout le troupeau,
Qu’il erre à l’aventure.
Que sans nous sur ce coteau
Il cherche sa pâture.
Allons voir dans un petit berceau
L’auteur de la nature.

Que l’hiver par ses frimas
Ait endurci la plaine,
S’il croit arrêter nos pas
Cette espérance est vaine.
Quand on cherche un Dieu rempli d’appas,
On ne craint point la peine.

Sa naissance sur nos bords
Ramène l’allégresse;
Répondons par nos transports
À l’ardeur qui le presse;
Secondons par de nouveaux efforts
L’excès de sa tendressse.

Dieu naissant, exauce-nous,
Dissipe nos alarmes;
Nous tombons à tes genoux,
Nous les baignons de larmes;
Hâte-toi de nous donner à tous
La paix et tous ces charmes.

Here, shepherds, let’s assemble,
Let us go see the Messiah;
Let’s seek out this very sweet child
In the arms of Mary.
I hear him, he is calling all of us,
Oh fate worthy of desire!

Let’s leave the flock there
Let it stray as may be.
Without us on this hillside
Let it seek its pasturage.
Let’s go see in a little cradle
The author of all Nature.

Even though winter with its freezing
Has hardened the plain,
If it believes it will stay our steps,
That hope is vain.
When seeking out a God so filled with charms,
No one fears any pain.

His birth upon our shores
Brings back joyfulness;
Let us answer by our transports of joy
The ardor which pushes Him on;
Let us promote by new efforts of our own
The zeal of His affection.

God a-borning, pardon us,
Dissipate our fears;
We fall upon Thy knees,
We bathe them in tears;
Haste Thou to give to all of us
Peace and all its delights.

This and three other carols were generously provided by Michael Johnson, who wrote:

I am attaching the texts for four additional French Christmas carols:
1. Ça, Bergers, assemblons nous
2. Dans cette étable
3. Ah! Quel grand mystère
4. En cette nuit
The texts are taken from the public domain. The first carol is generally sung to a melody which dates from at least the 16th Century and, in fact, it is reported that the tune (but not these words) was sung by the crew of Jacques Cartier`s ship La Grande Hermine anchored off Stadaconé (the Algonkian name of what became Québec City) on Christmas Day, 1535. (Québec historian, Ernest Myrand).
The other three are all 19th Century hymns, popular both in France and Québec.
The four carols as well as many of the others which you already have on the site, are on the NAXOS CD: En la Fête de Noël/O Holy Night issued in 1999 and sung by La Petite Bande de Montréal. It's really a very wonderful recording (I had nothing to do with it), but the jewel case liner, as is so often the case now, does not have the words in French or in English. Since I give the CD often as a Christmas present, it will be helpful to be able to tell people to look at your site for the words. NAXOS now has the CD on line, but still do not have the words or any translation!
I have provided translations for these four carols. They are very literal as is my habit and I have phrased them so that each line of the English translates the words in the corresponding line of the French. This makes the word order somewhat awkward at times in English, but people are forever asking me, when the translation is freer, "Yes, but what exactly does the French mean?" By translating it this way, they can now know. Frankly, it's fairly pedestrian, but it is more poetic in French, where it rhymes.
The music for Ça, bergers and for Ah! Quel Grand Mystère is particularly lovely.
In Québec (as on the CD) the arrangements used are generally by the Québecois composer/organist Raymond Daveluy. The four-part settings, with organ accompaniment and basic registration for Swell and Positive organ with pedal notation can be obtained from Les Entreprises Culturelles, 399, rue des Conseillers, La Prairie, Québec J5R 4H6 Canada (514-659-1282) and are available from Archambault Booksellers in Montréal and Québec (where I bought them).
That collection does not have En cette nuit, but has seven carols in addition to the ones I am passing along to you:
Amour, honneur, louange
Les Anges Dan Nos Campagnes
Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
Noel Nouvelet
Nouvelle agréable
Sainte Nuit
Le Sommeil de l'Enfant Jésus (The Sleep of the Child Jesus)
this last being the official title of Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris.
You already have most of these on your site.
So, thanks once again for your very lovely site.
Michael Johnson