In two of the Christmas hymns they sang repeatedly in Cologne, there was a small refrain within the text, "Eja, eja." What does that mean? Well, it was pretty obvious when singing it, and possibly confirmed by a quick skim through my German-English dictionary, that it means nothing, really. It doesn't signify in the way that words usually signify. It neither names nor describes.
But it does express.
As he passed the collection basket, one of the Cathedral docents was singing along, and instead of singing the second "eja" on two notes as written (la-sol), he sang it on four (la-sol-fa-sol)--a little more spring in its step. I heard others skip one of his notes in another variation (la-fa-sol).
Here were a bunch of grownups, singing a word of Christmas, a word of joy.
Update: Well, no wonder I couldn't find "eja" in the German-English dictionary. It is a Latin word! It means--nothing. Eia and heia, interj. (I) expressing joy or surprise, oho! well!: (II) in exhortation, come on!
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