Pure is the fastest-selling international début classical album to date, and Westenra became an international star, aged 16, when the first of her international albums were released. In August 2006, Westenra joined the Irish group Celtic Woman and toured with them on their 2007 Spring Tour.
Westenra has performed for dignitaries around the world. She is the youngest UNICEF Ambassador to date and has contributed to charities around the world.
Hayley Westenra's music was featured prominently in the 2007-2008 Nintendo Wii game, Endless Ocean.
See also (references):
- Official website: www.hayleywestenra.com
- This bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayley_Westenra
The Coventry Carol
Hayley Westenra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Oh sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
The poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, though little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
The Coventry Carol is a traditional Christmas carol that tells the sad story of the massacre of the innocents -- when King Herod ordered the killing of all male infants in Bethlehem in order to eliminate the baby Jesus, who Herod saw as a threat to his throne. The lyrics are addressed to a baby, referred to as "Thou little tiny Child," and sung in a lullaby-like tone, with the refrain "Bye, bye, lully, lullay." The carol is sung by three sisters who are lamenting the fate of the baby and questioning how they can protect him. The sisters sing of their heartbreak and the mournful reality that they cannot save the child from harm. The song ends with a final goodbye to the baby, "Lullay, though little tiny Child, Bye, bye, lully, lullay."
Line by Line Meaning
Lully, luulay, Thou little tiny Child,
Sleep, dear baby Jesus, lulled by the sweet sound of lullabies, you, who are so little and fragile.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Goodnight, little one, as we wish you rest and peace.
Oh sisters too, how may we do,
Dear sisters, how can we celebrate this day with joy and love?
For to preserve this day
To keep the memory of this holy day alive.
The poor youngling for whom we do sing
We sing for the sake of the poor young child born in a humble manger.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Sleep well, little one, as we return to singing gentle lullabies.
Herod, the king, in his raging,
King Herod, in his anger and fear, has issued terrible orders.
Charged he hath this day
He commanded his army to carry out his orders on this very day.
His men of might, in his own sight,
His powerful soldiers, in plain view of the king himself,
All children young to slay.
Were ordered to kill all young children in the region, in a violent act of madness.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
How sad and pained we feel for you, poor Jesus, whose innocence was threatened by such cruelty and hatred.
And ever mourn and sigh,
May we always remember and grieve for the suffering you endured in your early life.
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
In the face of such tragedy, we cannot find the words to express our sorrow, but we will stay silent and mournfully remember.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
As we say farewell for now, we sing one last lullaby to soothe your spirit, dear baby.
Lullay, though little tiny Child,
Hush now, little infant, and rest gently in the arms of your mother.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Goodnight, dear one, as we finish our lullabies and send you off to peaceful dreams.
Contributed by Declan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.