XII Dies Natalis

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. The "Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English song that probably dates back to the 18th century. The "Twelve Days" of Christmas is the holiday extending from Christmas until the feast day of Epiphany. You can learn more about the "Twelfth Night" tradition in an article at wikipedia.

You can find the English lyrics to the carol, with MIDI files and sheet music, at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website, along with detailed notes about the history and contents of the carol. In The Annotated Mother Goose by W.S. Baring-Gould and C. Baring-Gould, I learned that the "five golden rings" probably refers to "ringed pheasants," not rings for the fingers. Thus the presents on the first seven days are all birds.

I found this Latin translation online, attributed to Sister Marjorie E. Allen. (I've made one change here to the translation, switching quattuor aves, "four birds," to quattuor corvos, as the English "colly birds" refers to "coal-black birds.")

Primo die Natalis amator dedit mi
perdicem in piro.

S'cunda die Natalis amator dedit me
d'os turtures
et perdicem in piro.

Tertia die Natalis amator dedit mi
tres gallinas,
d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Quarta die Natalis amator dedit mi
quattuor corvos,
tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Quinta die Natalis amator dedit mi
quinque anulos,
quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Sexta die Natalis amator dedit mi
sex anseres,
quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Sept'ma die Natalis amator dedit mi
septem cygnos nantes,
sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Octava die Natalis amator dedit mi
octo quae mulgent,
septem cygnos nantes, sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Nona die Natalis amator dedit mi
novem salt'trices,
octo quae mulgent, septem cygnos nantes, sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Dec'ma die Natalis amator dedit mi
decem salt'tores,
novem salt'trices, octo quae mulgent, septem cygnos nantes, sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Undec'ma die Natalis amator dedit me
undecim tibic'nes,
decem salt'tores, novem salt'trices, octo quae mulgent, septem cygnos nantes, sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

Duodec'ma die Natalis amator dedit mi
d'odecim qui pulsant,
undecim tibic'nes, decem salt'tores, novem salt'trices, octo quae mulgent, septem cygnos nantes, sex anseres, quinque anulos, quattuor corvos, tres gallinas, d'os turtures et perdicem in piro.

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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
December 18: Quem Pastores Laudavere
December 19: Orientis Reges Tres
December 20: Lapsi Caelo Super Gentes
December 21: Silens Nox
December 22: Corde Natus Ex Parentis
December 23: Veni, Veni Emmanuel!
December 24: En, Nocte Venit Media
December 25: O Parve Vice Bethlehem
December 26: Rex Wenceslaus
December 27: Tinnitus, Tinnitus

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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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