Quem Pastores Laudavere

Here is today's Latin Christmas carol; you can read one carol per day for the month of December, or see the complete collection all at once. Today's song is a medieval Latin carol, dating back to the 14th century. It is frequently called the "Quempas" carol, based on the first two syllables of the Latin.

You can find a MIDI file along with sheet music at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website. The song was popular in Germany and throughout Europe in both Catholic and Protestant circles. There is an English adaptation by George Ratcliffe Woodward entitled "Whom of Old the Shepherds Praised."

You can find detailed information about the history of this carol at The Good Shepherd Institute, including a note about a lovely Silesian tradition of singing this carol in a four-part round on Christmas Eve at midnight.

Here are the standard three verses of the carol:

Quem pastores laudavere
quibus angeli dixere
"Absit vobis iam timere,"
natus est rex gloriae."

Ad quem magi ambulabant,
aurum, thus, myrrhum portabant,
immolabant haec sincere
nato regi gloriae.

Christo regi, Deo nato,
per Mariam nobis dato,
merito resonet vere
laus, honor et gloria.

Sometimes this verse is included as the third verse:

Exsultemus cum Maria
in coelesti heirarchia;
natum promat voce pia
laus, honor et gloria.

There is also an expanded version with a chorus. You can find an English translation of this version at the San Francisco Bach Choir website.

Quem pastores laudavere,
quibus angeli dixere,
“Absit vobis iam timere,”
natus est Rex gloriae.

CHORUS.
Nunc angelorum gloria
hominibus resplenduit in mundo.
Novi partus gaudia
virgo mater produxit,
et sol verus in tenebris illuxit.
Christus natus hodie ex virgine.

Ad quem magi ambulabant,
aurum, thus, myrrham portabant,
immolabant haec sincere
leoni victoriae.
CHORUS.

Exultemus cum Maria
in coelesti hiearchia;
natum promat voce pia
dulci cum melodia.
CHORUS

Christo regi, Deo nato,
per Mariam nobis dato,
merito resonet vere
laus, honor, et gloria.
CHORUS

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Here are the carols I have completed so far:
December 1: Rudolphus
December 2: Angelus ad Virginem
December 3: Aquifolia Ornate
December 4: A Solis Ortus Cardine
December 5: O Viri, Este Hilares
December 6: Conditor Alme Siderum
December 7: Angeli Canunt Praecones
December 8: Regis Olim Urbe David
December 9: Gaudium Mundo
December 10: Resonet in Laudibus
December 11: Adeste Fideles
December 12: Christe, Redemptor Omnium
December 13: Dum Servant Pecus Pastores
December 14: Primum Noel Cecinit Angelus
December 15: In Dulci Iubilo
December 16: Procul in Praesaepi
December 17: Gaudete

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Bolchazy-Carducci has a Latin Christmas Carol music CD! With 12 songs in Latin, O Abies: O Christmas Tree is available at amazon.com for $17.00

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