ITALIANO
Proseguendo nello spirito natalizio, anche questa volta attingo dal mio caro vecchio The Methodist Hymnal, ricevuto ai bei tempi in cui ero la violinista della valdo-presbiteriana English Speaking Church. E ripiglio a suonare dopo settimane che sono di nuovo ferma per malattia. L'autore di questo canto è Joseph Simpson Cook (1859-1933). Nato in Inghilterra, si trasferì in Canada, dove divenne pastore metodista. L'inno che qui suono è del 1919. Seguono titolo e prima strofa:
Gentle Mary laid her child
1 Gentle Mary laid her Child
Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled,
To the world a stranger:
Such a Babe in such a place,
Can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race
Who have found His favor.
Potete trovare il canto completo di tre strofe qui, con tanto di note musicali (sappiate che nel registrare la musica ho leggermente cambiato chiave -l'originale presenta quattro alterazioni in bemolle, ma le ho preferito una variante con tre diesis-):
https://hymnary.org/text/gentle_mary_laid_her_child
Cenni sull'autore li potete trovare invece qui (niente Wikipedia, stavolta: la googlata su Joseph Simspon Cook ha portato altrove):
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/c/o/o/k/cook_js.htm
ENGLISH
Following in the Christmas mood, I again draw on my dear old The Methodist Hymnal, received in the good old days when I was the violinist at the Waldensian-Presbyterian English Speaking Church. And I start playing again after weeks of sickness. The author of this song is Joseph Simpson Cook (1859-1933). Born in England, he moved to Canada, where he became a Methodist pastor. The hymn I play here is from 1919. Title and first verse follow:
Gentle Mary laid her child
1 Gentle Mary laid her Child
Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled,
To the world a stranger:
Such a Babe in such a place,
Can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race
Who have found His favor.
You can find the complete hymn of three stanzas here, complete with musical notes (be aware that in recording the music I slightly changed key -the original has four alterations in flat, but I preferred a variation with three sharps-):
https://hymnary.org/text/gentle_mary_laid_her_child
Notes on the author can instead be found here (no Wikipedia, this time: googling Joseph Simspon Cook led elsewhere):