"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" (
French: Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle) is a
Christmas carol which originated from the
Provence region of
France in the 17th century. The song is usually notated in
3/8 time.
The carol was first published in France, and was subsequently translated into English in the 18th century. The song was originally not meant for Christmas; it was considered dance music for
French nobility.
History
The carol first appeared in print in 1688 with the
Provençal text Venès lèu, Vèire la piéucello; Venès lèu, Genti pastourèu![1] in a collection of twelve Provençal noëls by
Nicolas Saboly.[2] The popularity of the melody is attested by its use four years later by
Marc-Antoine Charpentier for the drinking song, Qu'ils sont doux, bouteille jolie in a 1672 revival of
Molière'sLe médecin malgré lui.[3]
To this day on
Christmas Eve in Provence, children dress as shepherds and milkmaids, bringing torches and candles while singing the carol on their way to
Midnight Mass.
Lyrics
The characters "Jeannette" and "Isabelle/Isabella" are two female
farmhands who have found the
Baby Jesus and
his mother Mary in a stable. Excited by this discovery, they run to a nearby village to tell the inhabitants, who rush to see the new arrivals. Visitors to the stable are urged to keep their voices quiet, so the newborn can enjoy his dreams.
^French lyrics from: Giunco, Marco.
"Jeanette, Isabelle - Traditional". Fast Folk Musical Magazine - October '86 - Season'S Greetings. marcogiunco.com. Archived from
the original on 2005-03-12. Retrieved 2006-07-13. apparently typed in by Marco Giunco from the lyrics sheets in the magazine given above.