El Noi de la Mare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "El Noi de la Mare" |
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| Song | |
| Language | Catalan |
| English title | The Mother of the Child |
| Genre | Folk music |
| Songwriter(s) | Traditional |
El Noi de la Mare (which means 'The Child of the Mother') is a very old and popular Catalan Christmas song. It's a traditional tune from the region of Catalonia in Spain. This song became well-known around the world thanks to a famous guitar player named Andrés Segovia. He often played a special guitar version of it, arranged by Miguel Llobet, as an extra song after his concerts.
Contents
What the Song is About
This Christmas song is like a lullaby, a gentle song sung to a baby. It tells the story of people wondering what gifts they can give to the baby Jesus. The lyrics suggest simple, tasty foods that would make a baby happy.
Singing the Lyrics
The main part of the song has four lines, or verses. It usually starts by asking, "Què li darem a n'el Noi de la Mare?" This means, "What shall we give to the Mother's Child?" In some older ways of singing, people repeat each pair of lines twice.
Here is a common first part of the song:
Què li darem a n'el Noi de la Mare?
Què li darem que li sàpiga bo?
Panses i figues i nous i olives
Panses i figues i mel i mató
What shall we give to the Mother's Child?
What shall we give that he will find tasty?
Raisins and figs and nuts and olives
Raisins and figs and honey and mató
Mató is a type of fresh, soft cheese from Catalonia. So, the song talks about giving sweet and healthy snacks like raisins, figs, nuts, olives, honey, and this special cheese.
Different Versions of the Song
Over time, the words to El Noi de la Mare have changed a little bit. There are a few slightly different versions of the lyrics.
Famous musicians have also created their own arrangements of the song. Joaquín Nin-Culmell made a version for a singer with a high voice (soprano). John Rutter arranged it for a choir, which is a group of singers.
There is even an English version of this song called "What Shall we Give?". The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has sung this version.
Recordings of the Song
Many artists have recorded El Noi de la Mare. Here are a few examples:
- The group Zefiro Torna released an album in 2006 called El Noi de la Mare, Mother and Son. The song is the main track on this album.
- The famous opera singer Victoria de Los Angeles included it on her album Catalan Songs.
- Another well-known singer, José Carreras, also featured it on his album José Carreras Sings Catalan Songs.
See also
In Spanish: El noi de la mare para niños
