Fum Fum Fum

Fum, Fum, Fum

(Catalan: [ˈfum ˈfum ˈfum]) is a traditional Catalan Christmas Carol.

It is thought to have originated in the 16th or 17th century. The word "fum" means smoke in Catalan, and it may simply refer to the smoke rising from a chimney as seen from afar, or, as indicated in the New Oxford Book of Carols, "may imitate the sound of a drum (or perhaps the strumming of a guitar)". It is not typical of Spanish tradition but rather of Catalan tradition. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) defines "fum" as "to play upon a fiddle," quoting Ben Jonson, "Follow me, and fum as you go."

 

English Version

On December five and twenty

fum, fum, fum.

On December five and twenty,

fum, fum fum.

Oh, a child was born this night

So rosy white, so rosy white

Son of Mary, virgin holy

In a stable, mean and lowly,

fum, fum, fum.

On December five and twenty

fum, fum, fum.

On December five and twenty

fum, fum, fum.

Comes a most important day

Let us be gay, let us be gay.

We go first to church and then we

Have the sweetest buns and candy,

fum, fum, fum, fum, fum.

God will send us days of feasting

fum, fum, fum.

God will send us days of feasting

fum, fum, fum.

Both in hot months and in cold

for young and old, for young and old.

We will tell the holy story

Ever singing of his glory,

fum, fum, fum.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_oxdC58y4

 

Catalan Version

A vint-i-cinc de desembre

fum, fum, fum

A vint-i-cinc de desembre

fum, fum, fum

Ha nascut un minyonet

ros i blanquet, ros i blanquet;

Fill de la Verge Maria,

n'és nat en una establia.

Fum, fum, fum.

Allí dalt de la muntanya

fum, fum, fum

Allí dalt de la muntanya

fum, fum, fum

Si n'hi ha dos pastorets

abrigadets, abrigadets;

amb la pell i la samarra,

menjant ous i botifarra.

Fum, fum, fum.

Qui dirà més gran mentida?

Fum, fum, fum

Qui dirà més gran mentida?

Fum, fum, fum

Ja en respon el majoral

el gran tabal, el gran tabal;

jo en faré deu mil camades

amb un salt totes plegades.

Fum, fum, fum.

A vint-i-cinc de desembre

fum, fum, fum

A vint-i-cinc de desembre

fum, fum, fum

n'és el dia de Nadal,

molt principal, molt principal,

quan n'eixirem de matines,

farem bones escudines.

Fum, fum, fum.

Déu vos do unes santes festes

fum, fum, fum

Déu vos do unes santes festes

fum, fum, fum

amb temps de fred i calor,

i molt millor, i molt millor

fent-ne de Jesús memòria

perquè ens vulgui dalt la glòria.

Fum, fum, fum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6tYBkEc1s