Ballad of St. Anthony and the Birdies /Canción de San Antonio y los Pajarcitos

Hi. Today is Saint Anthony´s day. Many people celebrate it all over the world, but there is a little hermitage in Madrid that is very special, where a fair called a "verbena" is held every year to honor the saint.



















This hermitage has another building exactly like it standing next to it. It was built as a substitute for the first, which became only a museum because the smoke from the candles burnt there during services was blackening the paintings on the ceiling.



These paintings are very special because they are by Goya, one of Spain´s great painters. Francisco de Goya y Lucientes was from Aragon, but he was for many years a painter at the court of Madrid. He was asked to decorate St. Anthony´s Hermitage and he did so.





The most famous part of Goya´s work here is on the dome, where he painted one of St. Anthony´s most famous miracles. St. Anthony´s father was unjustly accused of a murder. The saint defended his father by making the dead man resurrect and testify before the judge and thus Anthony´s father was acquitted.




This hermitage is very small, but people stand for a long time in queues on this day to be able to have a loaf of bread they have bought there blessed, or to ask the saint to find them a good husband or wife if they want to marry. They sometimes find the partner they are looking for that same night dancing at a fair held outside the chapel.




The hermitage is next to a little river, so small that some people say it is an apprentice river. It is the only one in the city of Madrid and is called the Manzanares, which means "appletrees." People sometimes picnic on the banks of the river, but there aren´t any appletrees to give them shade. There are other kinds of trees such as weeping willows.



At the fair, people can buy many things, including little printed sheets with a whimsical song about a miracle St. Anthony is said to have performed when he was a little boy. Nobody knows who wrote this song, but it was probably one of the many blind men who used to earn a living singing songs in public places mostly about legends or popular events.



Sensitive and intelligent kids - if you are reading this you are sure to be both - find this song so curious and entrancing that I´ve published Favonia´s translation here for you to read ...or to sing. I´m trying to make it possible for you to hear it too, though in Spanish - that´s the best part, it´s nice to listen to. Joaquín Díaz sings it specially well- but that may take a while. I haven´t found it on the Internet. I might have to take a CD to class.Hey, it´s 2014 and I´ve found a way to listen to it right here and now. Keep reading.




The Ballad of St. Anthony and the Birdies
Divine, glorious Anthony,
If it´s not too much a bother,
By His Grace Most Sanctifying,
Ask of our Eternal Father
My tongue to enlighten
That I might relate
The miracle you worked
At the age of eight.

His father was a Christian
- Would they were like him now! -
Who kept his family fed
By the sweat of his brow.
In a little orchard
He himself did labor
Harvesting each season
Whatever he was able.

On the morning of a Sunday,
Just before he left for Mass,
Duty that with him a habit
Of very longstanding was,
"Anthony, my darling,"
He said to his son,
"Will you do me a favor?
I must ask you for one."

"While I am away at Mass,
Son, I would that you were careful
None of the birds of the fields
Spoiled the fruit of our efforts.
They come into the orchard,
Eat what we have sown,
Peck at all the fruit
Before it is grown."

The father left for Mass,
Where he prays with great devotion.
Anthony, back in the orchard,
Rapidly goes into motion.
"Listen, little birds,
Come down from those trees
for my father says
Your banditry must cease."

Over the wide countryside,
Not a bird was to be found.
For when St. Anthony called them,
All to the last one came round.
Anthony is singing
Medleys full of glee
Which the birds all chorus
Chirping cheerfully.

Hark! The father now returns!
Anthony says they must hush
And goes to welcome his father,
Who of his son now does ask,
"Tell me, my dear son,
Anthony, my own,
Did you do as I asked
Before I left home?"

"Father, there´s no need to worry,
For the birds have caused no harm.
To keep them from making mischief,
I´ve locked them up in the barn."
The father when he saw
What he had just heard,
To his lord the Bishop
Sent immediate word.

The Lord Bishop came in answer
With a great and worthy train.
Having all witnessed the marvel
They tried to explain it in vain.
They opened wide the windows,
Flung the doors apart,
Still the little birds
Could not be made to part.

Anthony then said, "There is,
Sirs, no cause for alarm.
Until I tell them to do so,
They won´t abandon the barn."
He stood by the doorway
And he spoke like this,
"Come out, little birds,
You may leave, if you please.

"Come out, you storks, in order!
Eagles, turtledoves and herons!
Hawks, cranes, owls and finches!
Sparrows and bustards and pigeons!
No filching, you magpies!
Step it up, you quails!
Partridges and peacocks,
No one´s treading on your tails!"

When they were out to the last bird,
They arraigned in strict formation,
Waiting for Anthony´s orders,
Which would have all their attention.
"Don´t go into orchards!
"Don´t touch farmers´crops!
"Feed in the rich prairies,
Fields and mountaintops!"

When they heard that they could fly,
They did so in sweet celebration,
Trilling goodbye to their patron
And to the whole congregation.
Monseñor the Bishop,
Once his tongue untied,
Had the portent published,
Both far and wide.

Tree of grandeur! Fount of Love!
Ark of all the virtues!
Mirror of God most exalted!
Canon for all of the faithful!
Anthony divine,
By thy intercession,
May we all rejoice
In eternal salvation!

The video below will allow you to hear this ballad in the original Spanish.

 





This is Joaquín Díaz, who sings this ballad and many other songs beautifully. Below are some of his CDs or records.