Spanish text

Chorus

Riu riu chiu, la guarda ribera;

Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera,

Dios guardo el lobo de neustra cordera.

1.

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder,

Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender;

Quisola hazer que no pudiese pecar,

Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera.

2.

Este qu’es nacido es el gran monarca,

Christo patriarca, de carne vestido;

hanos redimido con se hacer chiquito,

a un qu’era infinito, finito se hiziera.

3.

Muchas profecias lo han profetizado,

Ya un nuestros dias lo hemos al consado

Adios humanado vemos en el suelo,

Yal hombre nelcielo porquel le quistera.

4.

Yo vi mil garzones que andaban cantando,

por aquí volando, haciendo mil sones,

diciendo a gascones: “Gloria sea en el cielo

y paz en el suelo”, pues de sus nasciera.

5.

Este viene a dar a los muertos vida

y viene a reparar de todos la caída;

es la luz del día aqueste mozuelo;

este es el cordero que San Juan dixera.

6.

Mira bien queos quadre que ansina lo oyera,

Que Dios no pudiera hacer la mas que madre,

El quera su padre hoy della nascio

Y el que la drio su hijo so dixera.

7.

Pues que ya tenemos lo que deseamos,

todos juntos vamos, presentes llevemos;

todos le daremos muestra voluntad,

pues a se igualar con el hombre viniera.

English translation

Chorus

Riu, riu, chiu¹

The river bank protects it,

As God kept the wolf from our lamb

1.

The rabid wolf tried to bite her

But God Almighty knew how to defend her

He wished to create her impervious to sin

Nor was this maid to embody original sin

2.

He who’s now begotten is our mighty Monarch

Christ, our Holy Father, in human flesh embodied

He has brought atonement by being born so humble

Though He is immortal, as mortal was created

3.

The newborn child is the mightiest monarch,

Christ patriarchal invested with flesh.

He made himself small and so redeemed us:

He who was infinite became finite.

4.

Many prophecies told of his coming,

And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled.

God became man, on earth we behold him,

And see man in heaven because he so willed.

5.

A thousand singing herons I saw passing,

Flying overhead, sounding a thousand voices,

Exulting, “Glory be in the heavens,

And peace on Earth, for Jesus has been born.”

6.

He comes to give life to the dead,

He comes to redeem the fall of man;

This child is the light of day,

He is the very lamb Saint John prophesied.

7.

Now we have gotten what we were all desiring,

Go we together to bear him gifts:

Let each give his will to the God who was willing

To come down to Earth man’s equal to be.

¹ nightingale’s sounds