Ríu Ríu Chíu

A Renaissance carol performed by singers from Bowdoin College.

"The villancico is attributed by some sources to Mateo Flecha the Elder, who died in 1553; it has also been described as anonymous. The song also bears a strong resemblance to another villancico, Falalanlera, by Bartolomeu Càrceres, a Catalan composer. It is known from a single source, the Cancionero de Upsala, published in 1556 in Venice; a unique copy is preserved at the library of the University of Uppsala. The song appears as the fortieth song of that collection. Daniel R. Melamed described the song as "redoutable", and mentions it as a contender for the best known piece of Renaissance music.

The nonsense syllables ríu ríu chíu are meant to represent the song of a nightingale.

The basic theme of the song is the nativity of Christ and the Immaculate Conception. The refrain which gives the villancico its title goes:

Ríu, ríu, chíu, la guarda ribera
Dios guardó del lobo a nuestra cordera

"Ríu, ríu, chíu, the river guards her (referring to the "Lamb"); God kept the wolf away from Our Lamb."

The Immaculate Conception is mentioned in the lyrics:

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder
Más Dios Poderoso la supo defender
Quísola hacer que no pudiese pecar
Ni aun original esta virgen no tuviera.

"The raging wolf sought to bite her, but God Almighty knew to defend her; He chose to make her so that she could not sin; no original sin was found in that virgin."

The song also mentions themes of the Incarnation and Christmas:

Éste que es nascido es el Gran Monarca
Cristo Patriarca de carne vestido
Ha nos redimido con se hacer chiquito
Aunque era infinito finito se hiciera.

"This one that is born is the Great King, Christ the Patriarch clothed in flesh. He redeemed us when He made himself small, though He was Infinite He would make himself finite."