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To: alt.religion.orisha,alt.magick.tyagi
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Lazarus #1 and Lazarus #2 (was: Re: African Astrology
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 01:12:53 GMT

Sfrthomas wrote:
> 

> I am not much up on the syncretizations coming out of the Santeria 
> tradition either. However, San Lazaro brings to mind Lazarus, who is 
> most famous for having risen from...  the dead!

Just a quick note -- there are two ENTIRELY DIFFERENT men named Lazarus
in the Bible (both in the New Testament). 

One was Lazarus the brother of the sisters Mary Martha (a.k.a. Martha
the Dominator) who are best known among African-Americans for their
mention in the gospel song "Mary Don't You Weep (Tell Martha Not to
Mourn)." You see, the two sisters were mourning and weeping because
their brother Lazarus died, but Jesus raised him from the dead. He is
not a Saint. 

San Lazaro, the Saint shown dressed as a crippled beggar, half-naked in
rags, walking with crutches, accompanied by dogs, who is associated with
the Orisha Babaluaye is more properly known as Lazarus of Dives (Dives
was the name of a town) and he was NOT raised from the dead by Jesus.

Rather, Jesus related a story about Lazarus of Dives, and compared his
fate with that of a an unnamed "rich man" who refused to help the poor,
crippled, sick Lazarus when he lay outside the rich man's house begging
for help. 

As Jesus told it, both men died on the same night and Laazarus went to
rest "in the bosom of Abraham" while the rich man was sent to a lake of
fire, where he cried for water only to be told that he could only get
water if the beggar Lazarus offered it to him. 

This story has also given rise to a famous gospel song, "A Tramp in the
Street" 

Only a tramp was Lazarus by fate
He who lay down at the rich man's gate
He begged for some bread from the rich man to eat
But they left him to die like a tramp in the street
   He was somebody's darling, he was some mother's son
   One he was fair and once he was young
   Some mother she rocked him, her little darling, to sleep'
   But they left him to die like a tramp in the street

Jesus who died on Calvary's tree
Shed his life's blood for you and for me
With nails in his hands and nails in his feet
And they left him to die like a tramp in the street
   But he was Mary's own darling, he was God's only son
   One he was fair and once he was young
   And Mary, she rocked him, her little darling, to sleep
   But they left him to die like a tramp in the street

Okay, that "tramp in the street" Lazarus is Babaluaye -- now, since i
know you all just desperately  want to know the song about the OTHER
Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha who was raised from the dead,
here are the lyrics, as recorded by the Swan Silvertones gospel
quartette -- but note that Lazarus is never mentioned by name --
instead, Moses's triumph over Pharaoh's Army is inserted into the song.
The song is call-and-response style; the lead lines are sung by the
tenor, the indented lines are sung by the trio. 

Mary Dont You Weep
by the Swan Silvertones

Oh, I’m singing, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Martha don’t have to moan
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan
Listen to me, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Martha don’t have to moan
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan

Pharaoh’s army
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
They got drowned in the sea one day
	Down in the Red Sea
But Jesus said, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Your little old sister don’t have to moan no more
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan

Now can I get a witness, he said, Mary,
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Martha, don’t have to moan
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan
There may be somebody sick today
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Or somebody here ain’t got no home
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan

Listen, Pharaoh’s army 
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
They got drowned in the sea one day
	Down in the Red Sea
But I believe a Man said, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Your little old sister don’t have to moan no more
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan

Now, listen, if I could right now 
	If…I could (start clapping here)
I want to tell you that I surely would right now
	Surely would
Put my foot on the rock, children
	Stand on the rock 
Stand on the rock where Moses stood one day
	Moses stood
Because Pharaoh’s army 
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
That’s what the Bible said, got drowned in the sea one day 
	Down in the Red Sea
But I believe the man said, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
He said, May-ree
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
He said, May-ree
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Trouble in the land will be over after a while 
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
You won’t have to give up right for wrong no more
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
And Mary could have been a little hard to hear 
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
And I believe Jesus said, I better call a little bit louder
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Aaaaaah, Mary 
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Wish I had somebody to help me call Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Yeeees, Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mary

	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
I’ll  be your bridge over deep water if you trust in My name
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Oh, I’ll be your rock in a weary land
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Mmmmmmmm,  Mary
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
I don’t believe that she heard you, you better call her again
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Yeah yeah yeah yeah	
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Yeah-eah, Lord
	Oh, Mary, don’t you weep
Tell Martha don’t have to moan no more 
	Oh, Martha, don’t you moan

Cordially, 

cat (a veritable fount of semi-obscure lyrics) yronwode 

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