> Shirley Collins > Songs > Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene
Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene
[anon., arr. Shirley Collins / John Sothcott]
Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene is a 13th Century English gymel (a sort of early English polyphony) in praise of the Virgin Mary. Shirley Collins sang it accompanied by John Sothcott on vielle on her and her sister Dolly's 1976 album Amaranth. She also sang it with the Albion Dance Band live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1976; this was published in 2007 on the CD Dancing Days Are Here Again. Another live performance of Shirley Collins and John Sothcott recorded in 1977 in Sweden was included in her anthology Within Sound.
The Artisans sang Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene in 2014 on their CD The Medieval Experience. They commented:
[…] Also on the subject of Mary is Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene, which is thought to have come from Llanthony Priory. It is an example of a gymel, which is a composition for two equal voices, and is typically English in its extensive use of thirds.
Lyrics
Shirley Collins sings Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene | Translation |
---|---|
Edi beo thu, hevene quene, |
Blessed be you, heaven's queen, |
Thu asteghe so the daiy rewe |
You ascend like the ray of dawn |
Spronge blostme of one rote, |
Blossom sprung from a single root, |
Acknowledgements
I found the original lyrics and translation fragments in §8 of The Annunciation at the University of Rochester Libraries.