ALL MY TRIALS《我所有的考驗》2/1 : Bahamian Lullaby 巴哈馬搖籃曲

 

 

 

"BAHAMIAN LULLABY 巴哈馬搖籃曲" - Traditional

Bob Gibson (1931-1996) 

1956年, 個人的首張專輯 "Offbeat Folk Songs", 當中一首被歸類為心靈歌曲, 歌詞意象着聖經的 "一本小書"、"上帝"、"宗教"、"天堂"、 "生命之樹"、"朝聖者" 與 "冰寒的約旦河, 令身體淒冷, 卻使心靈溫暖", 是意喻基督徒對死亡和苦難的 "考驗"。 

 

歌 曲 ....
一個母親在彌留之際, 仍在安撫兒子 ....
"噓, 小寶貝, 不要哭, 你要知道媽媽快將離世"
"主啊, 我所有的考驗快結朿了" 

 

        

BAHAMIAN LULLABY - Traditional, Bob Gibson 1956    BAHAMIAN LULLABY - Billy Faier1958

1. Hush little baby, don't you cry                               1. Hush little baby, don't you cry

You know your mama is bound to die                         You know your mama is bound to die

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                                All my trials, soon be over

Refrain: Too late, my brothers                                  Refrain: Too late, too late my brother

Too late, but never mind                                          Too late, but never mind

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                               All my trials, soon be over

2. The Jordan river is chilly and cold                        2. If religion was a thing that money could buy

It chills the body, but it warms the soul                    Then the rich would live and the poor would die

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                               All my trials, soon be over

                                                                               Refrain: Too late, too late my brother

                                                                               Too late, but never mind

                                                                               All my trials, soon be over

 

3. The tallest tree in Paradise                                  3. The Jordan river is chilly and cold

The Christians call it the Tree of Life                        It chills the body, but it warms the soul

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                               All my trials, soon be over

Refrain: Too late, my brothers                                 Refrain: Too late, too late my brother

Too late, but never mind                                         Too late, but never mind

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                              All my trials, soon be over

4. If religion was a thing that money could buy         4. I had a little book was given to me

Then the rich would live and the poor would die      Honor really spell victory

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                              All my trials, soon be over

Refrain: Too late, my brothers                                Refrain: Too late, too late my brother

Too late, but never mind                                        Too late, but never mind

All my trials, Lord, soon be over                             All my trials, soon be over

 

"Bahamian Lullaby 巴哈馬搖籃曲" 

1956與1958年兩個歌手的不同版本, 均以傳統歌曲先後面世, 然而, 大多數音樂學者, 與及一些美國民歌歷史的文獻和讀物, 如 "Roud Folk Song Index 美國民歌目錄" 當中的 "傳統民謠系列", 亦沒有這两篇歌詞的文本, 甚至作者或出處的記載, 而樂壇業界對此曲的音樂旋律和節奏並沒有查究, 反而特别對 Bob Gibson 1956年的版本, 有更大興趣去引證它的出處,

"BAHAMIAN LULLABY" - Traditional: Bob Gibson 1956

 

主歌 第一節
"Hush, little baby, don't you cry"
"You know your mama is bound to die" 

這是根據 Dorothy G. Bolton 的作品"Old Songs Hymnal 古贊美詩", 在1952年出版的 "Frank C. Brown (1870-1943) Collection Vol.3", 第629頁, 歌曲編號 580, 曲目名字 "Hush, Little Baby" 其中的歌詞:
    Hush, little baby, and don't you cry:
    Yo' mudder mother an' fader father is bo'n to die! 

主歌 第二節
"The Jordan river is chilly and cold"
"It will chills the body, but it warms the soul"

源自 James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) 與 J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) 同編撰, 1925年由 Da Capo Press 出版 "The Books of American Negro Spirituals 美國黑人精神書集", 第 82-84 頁, 歌曲作品 "Stand Still Jordan" 的歌詞:

    Jordan river
    Jordan river
    Jordan river is chilly and cold

    It will chill-a my body
    It will chill-a my body
    It will chill-a my body, but not my soul 

 

主歌 第三節

"The tallest tree in paradise"

"The Christian call it the Tree of Life"  

是來自 "Frank C. Brown Collection Vol.3" 677頁, 歌曲編號 644, 曲目名字 "Tree In Paradise" 第一段歌詞: 

    There's a green tree standing in Paradise.
    Yes, my Lord.

    And the Christians call it the tree of life.
    Yes, my Lord.  

而較為近似是來自同曲的第二段歌詞

    There's a long, tall tree in Paradise

    I'll go down and die

    Christians call it the tree of life

主歌 第四節
"If religion was a thing that money could buy"
"Then the rich would live and the poor would die" 

歴史學家 Lawrence W. Levine (1933-2006) 1978年的著作 "Black Culture and Black Consciousness 黑人文化與覺悟" 其中 "Afro-American Folk Thought 非裔美國人思想" 一段以黑人語法的文本, 藍色字句:    

    Ef salvation was a thing money could buy,

        If salvation was a thing money could buy

    Den de rich would live and de po' would die.

        Then the rich would live and the poor would die

    But Ah'm so glad God fix it so,

        But I'm so glad God fix it so

    Dat de rich mus' die jes' as well as de po'! 

        That the rich must die just as well as the poor

在同一本書當中, Lawrence W. Levine 特别指出了1916年 Alabama 阿拉巴馬州黑人的一段詩句, 與前段較為早期的黑人語法不同, 藍色字句是二十世紀初的語境寫成:

    If-a 'ligion wuz er thing that money could buy,

        If a religion was the thing money can buy

    The rich would live and the po' would die.

        The rich would live and the poor would die

    I'm so glad things je' like dis,

        I'm so glad things just like this

    Dere's 'nother good chance for the po' coon yet.

        There's another good chance for the poor come yet

NEXT .... ORIGINAL or REMADE