An Old Frisian Poem

An Old Frisian Poem

Jonathan Posthuma

About the text: "An Old Frisian Poem" uses an excerpt from one of the oldest texts in the Frisian language, The First Emsiger Codex, which is a book of laws and miscellaneous documents dating from around 1400 AD. Although this text has been used widely by philologists to compare the development of language (primarily the "sister" languages of German, Dutch, Frisian, and English), its narrative and poetic qualities seem less important to scholars. But, in an article called "An Old Frisian Poem" (published in Modern Philology, Feb. 1915), Francis A. Wood proposes that sections of this text are actually poems. He attempts to reconstruct one particular section into its "true" poetic form and belieives that it originated several centuries earlier. He draws attention to its use of alliteration and with some editing, he believes that it is a "finished product of no mean merit, worthy to live in the light of the world."

The text is striking, whether it is intended to be poetry or legal prose. It describes the struggle of a family that must endure the coming winter without the father of their household, both mournful and desparate. There is no record of this text or others from this era being sung or set to music, and while this setting relies on historical traditions for its musical style, it is simply a musical reponse to the text, not a proposition of the sound of Old Frisian music. It uses both the Old Frisian text and the English translation provided by Francis A. Wood. In addition to this choral setting, one could sing the texts as a solo or accompanied by period instruments. thenna thiu neílthiùstera nácht and thi nédkàlda wínter ur tha túnar hléth, sa farther alra mónna hwélic inna sin hóf and inna sin hús, alder hi sin líf on bihálde, and thet wílde diar secht thene hóla bam and thera bérga hlí: sa wéniath thet nérighe bárn and wépth tha sine nákeda líthi and sin húslase and sinne féder, ther hine hrédde with thene winter kálder and with thene héta húngher, thet hi sa diápe bislághen and sa dímme bisléten is únder éke and under érthe bithácht.

When murky night and mist-cold winter On the fields down fall, and fare all men To the sheltering roof to shield them from death, And the wild-beast hies to the hollow tree Or lays him down in a den in the rocks: Then weeps the child of want when winter chillds his limbs, And homeless bewails the father, who should ward from him hunger and cold, And mourns that so deep he is lying, so darkly shut from the light, Under the oaken board and burdened by the earth.

- Francis A. Wood, translator Pronounciation Key: Forthcoming

An Old Frisian Poem anonymous, Old Frisian Francis A. Wood, editor and translator (1912)

° 12 &8 ‹

Jonathan Posthuma (b. 1989)

Like Watching a Distant Storm at Sea; e = 80

Solo (Tenor or Baritone)

∑

12 & 8 Ϫ Ϫ

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pp

SOPRANO ALTO

[n]*

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pp TENOR BASS

? 12 ¢ 8

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° & œ œ™ ‹ then - na

mf freely, with great longing

ppp

& ˙™ ˙™

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[n]* * a nasal "hum," tongue behind upper teeth and rich in harmonics

A tempo

3

Ϫ

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∑

poco rit.

Ϫ

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f

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ppp

ŠϪ mp

,

18 8

nácht

≈ œœ ™™ p

18 8 18 8

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy

3

à ≈ ° 18 ‰ ™ œ œ &8 œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ - œ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ œj œ™ ù ‹ mf

4

f

and thi ppp

18 & 8 Ϫ Ϫ

? 18 ˙˙™™ ¢ 8 w™

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nê

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wín - ter

ur

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hléth pp

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≈ œœ ™™

tha tú - nar

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,

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≈ œ™ œ™ Δ pp

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15 8

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5

f

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7

mp

al-der hi

sin líf on bi hál - de,

p

& Ϫ Ϫ p

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≈ œœ ™™

f

and thet wíl - de diar

pp

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≈ œœ ™™

secht the-ne hó - la bam

p

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© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

ŠϪ Ϫ p

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For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy poco rit.

U , = ° j & œj ‰ œj œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ œ ˙ ‹ and the-ra bér - ga hlí: ff

A tempo (but with a little more motion)

9

Œ

f

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∑ mp When

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mf mist - cold win-ter

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When mur p

f

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Ah

mf men to the shel - ter - ing roof to

° ‰ j œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ & ‰ œœ œœ œ ™ œ œœ œ ™ œœ™ œ Œ œj œœ œ œ œœ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ J œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ J J J J on the mp

11

fields

on the fields

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down

mf

13

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shield them

¢

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and

fall

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p

° œ & œ

down fall,

and fare

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all

all men

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to the shel - ter - ing roof to

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to

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Ah

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fare

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shield them

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

œ from

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mp bring out and the

‰

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5

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy

° & œw™™ 14

Ϫ

pp

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Ooh

wild

-

beast hies to the hol - low tree Or

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j œ œœ ™™

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lays

him down in a den in the rocks:

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Ooh

With More Motion (e = 110) e=e ff sub.

Then weeps the child

° 4 f‰ &4 ˙

j œ

16

Ϫ

weep,

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child

ff sub.

Then weep,

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f

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weep,

° ‰ & œ 18

home

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home

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child

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of want when win - ter

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when

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when

child

when

chills

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win - ter

chills

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win - ter

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his

chills

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win - ter

œ

‰ œ 44 J

Then sfz

˙œ™

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limbs,

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limbs,

poco rit.

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4 œJ 4

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And sfz

pp and cold,

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wails - less be ff And home less be- wails

œj œœ œœ ™ œ œœ œ e œ -

less

be -

wails

hun

œœ œ

5 œœœ 4

-

œœ™™

œœ hun

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

ger

-

ger

and

cold,

pp

œœ U œœ 12 8 J and cold,

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy Tempo I (e = 80) p

mf

° 12 Œ ™ œ ‰œ ™ œ &8 ‰ œ

And

20

mourns

And mourns

? 12 Ó™ ¢ 8

so

dark

that so deep

he is ly ing,

-

œ

dark

-

-

-

-

ly

so p

? Ó™ ¢

deep

shut

ly

-

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shut from the light, mf

Un - der

p

4 4 p

4 4

∑ the

-

en board

mp

œ œ œ œ œ œœ ™ œ œœ œœ ™ œ œœ œœ™ œ œœ

oak - en

? 4 Œœ œ œ œœ œœ™ œ œ œ™ œ ¢ 4J J the oak

ing

shut from the light,

∑

Un - der

he is

U j 6 œ œ™ œ œ™ œœ 8 œ œ ™ œ œ™ u

ly

-

Slower, Mournfully

pp

ly ing,

from the light,

dark - ly

24

œœ ™™ pp

f he is

mf shut from the light,

ly

-

dark

‰ œ Œ™

° 4 &4

œ œ œj œ œ œœ œ J

U 6 œ œœ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 8 œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ u

so

22

pp

j œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ ‰ œ œ œ œJ œ that so

° Œ™ & ‰ œ œ ‰œ™ œ

he is ly ing,

mourns,

‰ œ Œ™

p

f that so deep

œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ ™ œ

œ œ™ œ œ œœ p And

p

6

board

and

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

bur

and

bur

-

-

dened by

dened

the

7

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy pp

° Œ & œ J

Un

26

œ

œ

Un

der

-

der

-

œœ ™

œ œJ

the

pp by

the

? œ™ ¢ w

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the

oak

œ œ

oak

en

-

-

en

œ

board

earth,

œ

˙™

earth.

° œ & œ 27

board

° & ‹

and

bur

-

-

j œ

and

bur

bur

-

œ ‰

œœ ™

œJ

and

∑

dened by

œ œœ ™™

dened

-

bur

poco accel.

29

-

pp dened by

-

& œ œ

[n] pp

œœ œœ œœ

? œw œ œ œ ¢ w

the earth.

U w w u

by

the earth.

dened by

the earth.

œœ

With More Motion (e = 110)

= ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œj ˙ J f

∑

sa wé - ni ath

pp

U œ ˙™

the earth.

œw™ u

œ œ œ œ™ œ œœ œ™ œ œ œœ œœ ™ œ œœ

and

? ‰ ¢ Œ

poco rit.

mp

p

pp

œœ œœ ˙œ œ

w w

p

œw œ ˙ w

[n]** ** Low bass may sing open vowel if necessary to balance parts.

[m]

thet

[m]

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

6 4

né - ri - ghe bárn

w w

pp

w w

mf

w w

6 4 6 4

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy

8

(e = 100) = Slower mp ≈ ° 6 ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œj œ 44 ‰ œj œ œ œ œ ™ œ ‰ œj &4 J ù ‹ and wépth that si-ne ná - ke-da lí - thi and sin hús - la - se and pp ≈ 6 4 & 4 w™ 4˙ ˙˙ w™ ˙ mf

ff

33

?6 ≈ w™ ¢ 4 w™

pp

4 ˙w ˙ 4 w 35 , mf f ° j ™ 3 œ & œ œ ™ œ œj œ œ ™œ ‰ œj œ œ œ ™™ œ œ œ œ ™ ‰ œ œ œ ù œ œ œ ™œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ‹ sin ne

fé - der, ther hi-ne

& ˙˙

˙˙

? ˙˙ ¢ ˙

˙˙ ˙

° 3 &4 38

poco rit.

∑

hré - de p

˙˙

œœ ™™

˙˙ ˙

œ ˙˙

p

12 8

Ϊ

∑

3 12 & 4 œ™ œ œ œ ™œ œ 8 œ™ Œ ™ Ó™ ‹ hé - ta hún gher,

? 3 œœ ¢ 4œ

p

pp

˙œ ˙˙ ˙

j œœ ˙˙

˙˙

3 4

˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙

3 4

mp

œ

Solo (Alto or Soprano) mf Tempo I (e = 80)

mf

3 & 4 œœ

with the-ne win-ter kál - da and with the-ne mp

thet hi sa

dia-pe bis

-

lag - hen f

sa dia - pe bis pp

-

lag - hen p

‰ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 68 œ œœœ œ 12 J 8 p

thet hi

12 œw ™ œ ™ œ™ œ ™ œ™ ˙˙™™ 8 w™ p

œœ ™™ œ™

œœ ™™

j 6 12 œœ œ œœ 8 œœ ™™ œœ ™™ 8

pp

[n]**

** Low bass may sing open vowel if necessary to balance parts.

œ œ œ œ œ œ 68 œ œœœj œ 12 8 J

mf

12 8 œ ™ œ ™ œœ ™™ œœ ™™ œœ ™™ œ œ™ œ™ [n]

‰œ œœ

f

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

˙™ œ™

p

Ϫ

6 œ ™ œ™ 12 8 œ™ œ ™ 8

9

For Perusal Only - Do Not Copy

° 12 Œ ™ &8 42

‰

mp

œ

and

mp

12 & 8 ‰ œ œ œ™ ‹ and

sa

sa

dim - me

-

lé

6 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 8œ dim

œ™ œ

Ϫ

? 12 œ™ ¢ 8 ˙™

bis

mf

Ϫ

pp

mf

œ œ

pp

12 & 8 ˙™ œ™

6 j œ œ œ œ 8œ

-

me

bis

-

œœ ™ œJ ™

˙™ œ™

lé

p

œ œ œj œ p

œ œ œj œ

6 Ϫ 8 Ϫ

œœ ™™

12 8

6 Ϫ 8 Ϫ

Ϫ Ϫ

12 8

p

p

mp

12 & 8 w™

∑

? 12 œw ™ ¢ 8 w™

Ϫ

pp

pp

Ϫ

ppp

w™ u

Ϫ

© 2017, Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing www.jonathanposthuma.com

U ™™ w w w™ u

12 8

ten

-

° 12 ‰ &8 œ œ œ œ œ ‰ ‰ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ ˙™ ‹ is ún-der é - ke and un-der ér - the bi - thácht poco rit.

44

ten

-

p

Ϫ

12 8

U™ Œ

U ∑

ppp

-- Saint Paul, MN September 6, 2017