There are mouseover translations, but I had to do them as hyperlinks. Just read them; don’t click them... Mouseover locations can be found to the left of the red arrows (←) . . .
Download “The Star.mp3”
(Want the sheet music?)
(Ex astris, scientia)
(“From the stars, knowledge”) ←
God!! No!! Why?!?
Father Loyola -- (Founder of the Jesuits) ←
If you knew what we know now,
What would you think?
Would your faith still be strong,
Where mine is failing?
(Deus tecum)
We found it.
The Vault.
They made sure that we would.
On the one seared planet
That survived.
(Deo gratias)
No one thought we’d find a planet . . .
A small, scorched planet
In distant orbit
‘Round the small White Dwarf star
Left behind.
(Deo gratias)
It survived the supernova.
They knew the end was coming.
And ev’rything they treasured,
They sent here.
So we’d know who they were . . .
(Deo gratias)
They left their art.
They left their sculpture.
They left pictures and movies,
Recordings and texts.
With players and guides
And instructions.
So we know who they are.
(Requiescant in pace)
We know who they were . . .
We saw their lives.
We saw their cities.
Saw them working and playing
And living and loving.
They almost looked human.
And I cannot forget . . .
(Pax tecum)
A scene
Of children
Playing in the waves;
Running down a beach
Of strange blue sand.
And there --
Sinking down behind them,
Casting warm reflections,
Sets the sun . . .
The sun . . .
(Pax tecum)
That will end them . . .
(Deus tecum)
That destroyed them . . .
(Pax vobiscum)
And we now know when . . .
(Ex astris, scientia)
(“From the stars, knowledge”) ←
God!!
There were so many stars...
So many stars You could choose.
(Sic transit gloria mundi)
(“So passes away the glory of the world”) ←
So why use
This star?
Why give this world
To the fire?
(Ad maiorem Dei gloriam)
(“For the greater glory of God” -- Jesuit motto) ←
Just so this star’s light
Would shine down over
Bethlehem?
And -- just in case you’re interested? Here’s an .mp3 of just the chorus part by itself. (I’m really quite pleased with how it turned out. For one thing -- it represents the meeting of a challenge, as I’m not terribly well-versed in choral music! And for another thing? I’m just impressed that I managed to sing the entire thing -- from a really low bass “D” to the “D” three octaves above that!)
Beyond the SpinTunes prompt itself, this song owes its existence to three sources of inspiration:
• Eric Whitacre’s song Sleep.
• Jayson Wilson’s stunning performance of
Eric Whitacre’s Water Night.
• And, of course, the short story on which this song
is based -- Arthur C. Clarke’s, The Star.