Choral Public Domain Library

Hi,

I'd like to fine-tune a translation for a fine Spanish carol, A Un Nino Llorando Al Hielo by Francisco Guerrero (1528 – 1599).
Due to my limited knowledge of Spanish - especially Renaissance Spanish - I resorted to an online machine translator, which gives me the gist of the lyrics, but this obviously needs some tweaking.
I'll append the Spanish and the English below.
I'd be grateful for any help.
Frank

SPANISH:
A un niño llorando al hielo
van tres Reyes a adorar
Porque el niño puede dar
Reinos, vida, gloria y cielo.

Nace con tanta bajeza
Aunque es poderoso Rey
Porque nos da ya por ley
Abatimento y pobreza.

Por ello llorando al hielo
van tres Reyes a adorar
Porque el niño puede dar
Reinos, vida, gloria y cielo.

Alma, venid también vos
A adorar tan alto nombre
Veréis que este niño es hombre
Y mayorazgo de Dios.

Y aunque pobre y pequeñuelo
Le van Reyes a adorar
Porque el niño puede dar
Reinos, vida, gloria y cielo.

==============================================
English
- (brackets used if translation is doubtful, or not there)

To a boy (crying to the ice)
go three Kings to worship
Because the boy can give
Kingdom, life, glory and Heaven.

He is born so simple
And yet he is a powerful King
Because (gives us already by law)
(Abatimento - shelter?) and poverty.

Because of him (crying to the ice)
go three Kings to worship
Because the boy can give
Kingdom, life, glory and Heaven.

Soul, you come also (vos)
to worship so high name
Will See that this boy is a man
and firstborn of God.

And although poor and (pequeñuelo)
go Kings to worship
Because the boy can give
Kingdom, life, glory and Heaven.

Hi, the translation you provided is not far from the correct sense. Compare with this other translation I found which is very faithful to the original:

Three kings go to adore
a child crying in the cold,
Because the child can give
Kingdoms, life, glory and heaven.

He is born with such lowliness
Although he is a powerful king,
Because he is lawfully giving us
Humbleness and poverty.

To him crying in the cold,
Three kings go to adore him,
Because the child can give
Kingdoms, life, glory and heaven.

Come, too, my soul,
To adore such a high name.
You will see that this child is man
And the firstborn son of God.

And although he is poor and very small,
Kings go to adore him,
Because the child can give
Kingdoms, life, glory and heaven.

(Source: http://www.orpheon.org/oldsite/Seiten/D ... sh-lux.htm)

Thanks Carlos, for the quick reaction. Muchos gracias!
Frank

You're welcome!