Cantiga 2Lyrics: Muito devemos, varões

Uploaded on Oct 4, 2009

"Varones, mucho debemos loar a Santa María, que otorga sus gracias y sus dones a quien confía en
ella."

A un prelado suyo, que fue primado de España y era llamado Ildefonso, además de sus buenas
dotes, le dio una vestidura que trajo del Paraíso, bien hecha, a su medida, porque él había puesto
todo su entendimiento en loarla de noche y de día.

Bien empleó él sus dichos, como lo hallamos, de cierto, en los buenos escritos que hizo sobre la
virginidad de esta muy santa Señora; por ellos, le fue tornado en loor cuanto la habían
menospreciado los judíos y herejes.

El mayor milagro del mundo, ya esta Señora se lo había mostrado antes cuando marchaba, en una
procesión, con el rey Recesvinto, y se les apareció Santa Leocadia y, cuando el rey cortaba un trozo
de su mortaja, le dijo: "Ay, Alfonso santo; por ti vive, devuelta su honra, mi Señora."

Porque la Gloriosa lo encontró fuerte y sin miedo en loar su preciosa virginidad, en Toledo le donó un
alba, para que la vistiese en sus fiestas. La Virgen, santa y salva, al dársela, le dijo: "Mi hijo te envía
esto..."

Y después de que le hubo dado este raro y hermoso don, le dijo: "Por Dios, muy fatuo sería quien, al
asentarse en esta sede, cuando tú ya no seas, probase vestírsela, porque Dios tomaría venganza de
él."

Luego que fue partido del mundo este confesor de Cristo, fue arzobispo, fallido, don Siagrio, que
determinó esto para su daño, ya que, atrevido, al vestirse aquella tela, fue muerto y perdido, como
había dicho la Virgen.

************

This is how Holy Mary appeared to Saint Ildefonso (He was archbishop of Toledo 657-667) in Toledo
and gave him an alb which She brought from Paradise which he should wear to say mass.
"Good men, we should greatly praise Holy Mary, for She bestows Her grace and Her gifts on him who
trusts in Her."
As a sign of Her good favor, She bestowed on a prelate of Hers, a primate of Spain called Ildefonso, a
vestment cut exactly to his measure which She brought from Paradise, because he had devoted all his
wisdom to praising Her night and day.
He employed his sermons well, as we find to be true, and also his excellent writings about the virginity
of that saintly Lady, whereby its praise was restored in Spain despite all that the Jews and heretics
had said against it.
This Lady had previously performed for him the greatest miracle in the world when he had walked with
King Reccesvinth (He was the twenty-eighth king of the Visigoths, who ruled from 653 to 672) in the
procession. Saint Leocadia (Patron saint of Toledo, d.304, she was a maiden of Toledo condemned to
death under Diocletian and died in prison. Her cult dates from the fifth century) appeared before them,
and as the king clutched her shroud, she said: "Oh, saintly Ildefonso, my Lady lives through you."
Because the Glorious Lady found him strong and fearless in praising Her precious virginity in Toledo,
She gave him an alb to wear on Her feast days. While bestowing it upon him, the holy and pure Virgin
told him: "My Son sends this to you."
When She had given him this rare and beautiful gift, She said: "In God's name, I swear that if anyone
other than you should sit in your chair or for any reason try to put on this alb, he would be very
foolhardy, for God would take vengeance on him."
After this confessor of Christ had departed from this world, the treacherous don Siagrio became
archbishop. To his undoing, he dared to put on that garment and was at once killed and condemned,
just as the Virgin had said.

Esta é de como Santa María pareceu en Toledo a Sant' Alifonsso e déu-ll' ũa alva que
trouxe de Paraíso, con que dissésse missa.

Muito devemos, varões,

loar a Santa María,
que sas graças e séus dões
dá a quen por ela fía.
Sen muita de bõa manna,
que déu a un séu prelado,
que primado foi d' Espanna
e Afons' éra chamado,
déu-ll' ũa tal vestidura
que trouxe de Paraíso,
ben feita a sa mesura,
porque metera séu siso
en a loar noit' e día.
Porên devemos, varões, †CSM 2:14Although this is the very first cantiga with a
refrain, it is quite exceptional in that the reprises of the refrain are worded slightly
differently in the first line: the initial Muito is replaced byPorên. See also
CSM 290 which has a pair of alternating reprises.
loar a Santa María,
que sas graças e séus dões
dá a quen por ela fía.
Ben empregou el séus ditos,
com' achamos en verdade,
e os séus bõos escritos
que fez da virgĩidade
daquesta Sennor mui santa,
per que sa loor tornada
foi en Espanna de quanta
a end' avían deitada
judéus e a eregía.
Porên devemos, varões...
Maior miragre do mundo
ll' ant' esta Sennor mostrara,
u con Rei Recessïúndo
ena precissôn andara,
u lles pareceu sen falla
Santa Locai', e enquanto
ll' el Rei tallou da mortalla,
disse-ll': “Ai, Afonsso santo,
per ti viv' a Sennor mía.”
Porên devemos, varões...
Porque o a Grorïosa
achou mui fórt' e sen medo
en loar sa precïosa
virgĩidad' en Toledo,
déu-lle porend' ũa alva,
que nas sas féstas vestisse,
a Virgen santa e salva
e, en dando-lla, lle disse:
“Méu Fillo esto ch' envía.”
Porên devemos, varões...
Pois ll' este don tan estranno
ouve dad' e tan fremoso,
disse: “Par Déus, muit eanno
sería e orgulloso
quen s' en esta ta cadeira,
se tu non és, s' assentasse,
nen que per nulla maneira
est' alva vestir provasse,
ca Déus del se vingaría.”
Porên devemos, varões...
Pois do mundo foi partido
este confessor de Cristo,
Don Sïágrïo falido
foi Arcebispo, pois isto,
que o fillou a séu dano;
ca, porque foi atrevudo
en se vestir aquel pano,
foi lógo mórt' e perdudo,
com' a Virgen dit' avía.
Porên devemos, varões...

Footnotes
Although this is the very first cantiga with a refrain, it is quite exceptional in that the reprises of the
refrain are worded slightly differently in the first line: the initial Muito is replaced by Porên. See also
Line 14: CSM 290 which has a pair of alternating reprises.