"Tu scendi dalle stelle" (Italian:[tuˈʃʃendidalleˈstelle]; "From Starry Skies Thou Comest", "From Starry Skies Descending", "You Came a Star from Heaven", "You Come Down from the Stars") is aChristmas carol from Italy, written in 1744 inBovino by SaintAlphonsus Liguori in the musical style of apastorale. Though found in numerousarrangements and commonly sung, it is traditionally associated with thezampogna, or large-format Italianbagpipe.
The melody and original lyrics for the hymn were written byAlphonsus Liguori, a prominentNeapolitan priest andscholastic philosopher (latercanonized) who founded theRedemptorist missionary order. In 1732, while staying at Convent of the Consolation, one of his order's houses in the small city ofDeliceto in theprovince of Foggia in southeastern Italy, he wrote the Christmas song that begins "You come down from the stars" entitled "Little song to Child Jesus". This version with Italian lyrics actually came after the original song written inNeapolitan entitled "For Jesus' birth" and that beginsQuanno nascette Ninno (When the child was born) and sometimes referred to as the "Carol of the Bagpipers" (Canzone d'i zampognari).[1] Since that time, the "Little song to Child Jesus" became a widely popular Christmas carol in Italy.
There are several translations of the lyrics into English styled after that of theKing James Bible; one of these translations is given below.[2] At least one translation into modern English also exists,[3][failed verification] as well as a literal translation into English of the Neapolitan "Quanno nascette Ninno".[4] The piece was also published in 1932 by A. Paolilli's Music Co. of Providence, Rhode Island. That version credits the music composition to Tommaso Capocci and the words toPope Pius IX and does not mention the earlier work.
The first two stanzas are:
1. Tu scendi dalle stelle,
O Re del Cielo,
e vieni in una grotta,
al freddo e al gelo.
O Bambino mio Divino
Io ti vedo qui a tremar,
O Dio Beato
Ahi, quanto ti costò
l'avermi amato!
2. A te, che sei del mondo
il Creatore,
mancano panni e fuoco;
O mio Signore!
Caro eletto Pargoletto,
Quanto questa povertà
più mi innamora!
Giacché ti fece amor
povero ancora!
1. From starry skies descending,
Thou comest, glorious King,
A manger low Thy bed,
In winter's icy sting;
O my dearest Child most holy,
Shudd'ring, trembling in the cold!
Great God, Thou lovest me!
What suff'ring Thou didst bear,
That I near Thee might be!
2. Thou art the world's Creator,
God's own and true Word,
Yet here no robe, no fire
For Thee, Divine Lord.
Dearest, fairest, sweetest Infant,
Dire this state of poverty.
The more I care for Thee,
Since Thou, O Love Divine,
Will'st now so poor to be.[2]
Domenico Scarlatti used the tune in his Sonata in C major, Kk513.[5]Ottorino Respighi adopted the carol for the secondmovement of hisTrittico botticelliano, P 151 (1927), "Adoration of the Magi".[6]
Anthony Velona and Remo Capra arranged English lyrics upon the original musical composition for a version entitled "O Bambino" (also known as "One Cold and Blessed Winter"). This version was recorded by several singers in the late 1960s, before the history of the song was widely known, and was partly incorporated intoSergio Franchi's traditional Italian version on his 1965 recording.[7]
Italian-American tenorSergio Franchi originally recorded the traditional Italian version on aDurium (Italy) single (n.d.) and a Durium LP released in the US in 1965. He also recorded a slightly updated arrangement of this song on his 1965RCA VictorBillboard Top 40 albumThe Heart of Christmas (Cuor' Di Natale).[8]
Contemporary Italian composerPiero Niro has produced a composition entitledThree Variations on "Tu scendi dalle stelle" for a large orchestra (2000).[citation needed]Ralph Woodward has arranged the carol for unaccompanied choir.[citation needed]
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| National | |
| Other | |
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Tu scen -- di dal -- le stel -- le,
O Re del Cie -- lo,
e vie -- ni~in u -- na grot -- ta,~al fred -- do,~al ge -- lo. __ e
-- lo. O__ Bam -- bi -- no mi -- o Di -- vi -- no,
I -- o ti ve -- do qui a tre -- mar,
O Di -- o be -- a -- to,
Ah! quan -- to ti cos -- tò
l'a -- ver -- mi~a -- ma -- to! Ah! -- to!
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