A Good Connection to My "Don't Fear the Night" Post

The Transparent Unicorn -- a reader of this blog and the only kind of unicorn I have seen in my life -- left a link to a short French choral piece called La Nuict Froide et Sombre by the Flemish, late Rennaissance composer Orlando de Lassus. The short piece connects well to a theme I explored in my recent Don't Fear the Night post from a few days ago.

Though I am familiar with some of his contemporaries like Palestrina, de Lassus was unknown to me until now, so thanks to the Transparent Unicorn for putting this composer on my radar, so to speak. Song and lyrics below:    La nuict froide et sombre
Couvrant d'obscure ombre
La terre et les cieux
Aussi doux que miel,
Fait couler du ciel
Le sommeil aux yeux.

Puis le jour luisant
Au labeur duisant
Sa lueur expose,
Et d'un teint divers
Ce grand univers
Tapisse et compose.


The night cold and dark
Covering with gloomy shade
The earth and the skies,
As sweet as honey
Pours from heaven
Slumber upon the eyes.

Then the shining day
Calling to labour
Shows his gleaming ray,
And with motley colour
Bedecks and shapes
This great universe.