1. how you come across to it:
Discovered it while doing a random search for Debussy's vocal works.
2. why this piece?
Composed both the text and music by Debussy during the First World War, it is possibly the saddest Christmas song ever, depicting the revengeful thoughts of those miserable orphans in war.
Thinking of the hatred it may have generated, the song can be quite chilly. The effect is reinforced by the fact that it is scored for children's chorus.
The text is self-explaining:
We have neither house nor home!
Enemies took all we owned, all gone, even our own little bed!
They burned our school, they even burned the teacher too.
They burned the church and statue of the Savior.
And the old begger that could not move very fast!
We have neither house nor home!
Enemies took all we owned, all gone, even our own little bed!
Papa has gone off to war, Poor Mother dear is in heaven!
she did not foresee all this.
Oh, what shall become of us?
Jesus, O little child, don't go to their house, never go to them again, Punish them all!
Avenge the children of France!
The little Belgians, and the little polish children too!
But if we should forget, please pardon us.
Jesus, Jesus above all we want no toys!
But may we please have once again our daily bread!
For the little Belgians, for the little Serbians, too!
We have neither house nor home!
Enemies took all we owned, all gone, even our own little bed!
They burned our school, they even burned the teacher too.
They burned the church and statue of the Savior.
And the old begger that could not move very fast!
Jesus! hear now our plea, we no longer have our wooden shoes.
Give victory to the children of France!
another English translation is available here:
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=4342
3. (and...)
Hope this kind of vindictiveness limits itself to history in the past. Let there be peace on earth.
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