Linda noite de Natal
A traditional carol from the Algarve area of Portugal. It was adapted into English by Italian-American Eduardo Marzo in 1923 as "All That Wondrous Christmas Night".
Linda noite de Natal
Beautiful Christmas Night
Christmas Carol
Christmas Carol
(Portuguese)
(English)
Linda noite de Natal,
Noite de grande alegria.
Caminhava São José
Mais a sagrada Maria.
(Refrão):
Linda noite, linda noite,
Linda noite de Natal.
Linda noite, linda noite,
Linda noite de Natal.
Caminhavam p'ra Belém
Para lá chegar de dia,
Mas quando eles lá chegaram
Já toda a gente dormia.
(Refrão)
Bateram a muitas portas
Mas ninguém lhes acudia,
Foram dar a uma choupana
Onde o boi bento dormia.
(Refrão)
São José foi buscar lume,
ficou rezando Maria,
Mas quando José voltou,
já o Menino dormia.
(Refrão)
Beautiful Christmas night,
Night of great joy.
St. Joseph was walking
Along with Holy Mary.
(Chorus)
Beautiful night, beautiful night,
Beautiful Christmas night.
Beautiful night, beautiful night,
Beautiful Christmas night.
They were walking to Bethlehem
To get there by day,
But when they arrived there
Everybody was already asleep.
(Chorus)
They knocked on many doors
But nobody helped them,
They arrived at a hut
Where the blessed ox was sleeping.
(Chorus)
St. Joseph went to look for fire,
Mary stayed praying,
But when Joseph returned,
The Child was already asleep.
(Chorus)
Notes
Here is a much longer version collected in the Castello Branco district in 1886. It was sung for Christmas in several towns from the former Beira Baixa Province and in Alentejo in Portugal.
Pela noite de Natal (On Christmas night)
Noite de tanta alegria, (Night of so much joy)
Caminhando vai José (Joseph goes walking)
Caminhando vai Maria. (Mary goes walking.)
Ambos os dois p'ra Belém (Both to Bethlehem)
Mais de noite que de dia (More by night than by day)
E chegaram a Belém (And they arrived in Bethlehem)
Já toda a gente dormia. (Everybody was already sleeping.)
"" Abri a porta, porteiro. (Open the door, doorkeeper)
Porteiro da portaria! (Doorkeeper at the portal)
Não deu resposta o porteiro (The doorkeeper didn't answer)
Porque também já dormia. (Because he was already sleeping too.)
Só encontraram pousada (They only found lodging)
Dentro duma estrebaria ; (In a cowshed)
Ali ficaram os dois (There they both stayed)
Até ao romper do dia (Till daybreak.)
Buscou lume São José (Saint Joseph looked for fire)
Porque a noite estava fria (Because the night was cold)
Lá ficou ao desamparo (There the Virgin Mary stayed)
Sozinha, a Virgem Maria. (Alone and helpless.)
Quando voltou São José (When Saint Joseph came back)
Já viu a Virgem Maria - (He saw the Virgin Mary already)
Co Deus Menino nos braços (With the God Child in her arms)
Que todo o Mundo alumia. (Illuminating the World.)
E veio um anjo do Ceu (And there came an angel from Heaven)
Cantando : Ave Maria ! (Singing Hail Mary!)
Agora mesmo em Belém (Right now in Bethlehem)
Nasceu Jesus de Maria. (Jesus was born of Mary.)
Veio ao mundo esta noite (He came to the world tonight)
Dentro duma estrebaria (In a stable)
Entre um boi e uma mula (Between an ox and an ass)
E sem outra companhia. (Without any other company.)
Demos graças a Deus Padre (Let's give thanks to God the Father)
E a Jesus Christo também (And to Jesus Christ too)
Que sejam ambos louvados, (Let them both be praised)
Para todo o sempre : Amen. (Forevermore: Amen)
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated by Monique and Lisa.
