pastorella
/ˌpastəˈrɛlə/(also pastorela)
noun
1A musical or literary work with pastoral associations.
2A church composition for the Christmas season in certain European countries in the 17th–19th centuries, usually for singers and a small orchestra and representing the Christmas narrative in Luke 2.
3A medieval lyric whose theme is love for a shepherdess.
Origin
Late 16th century (in an earlier sense). From Italian pastorella shepherd girl, Arcadian poetess, a kind of Christmas music from pastore + -ella; compare also Italian pastorelleria poetic work set in a pastoral environment. Compare post-classical Latin pastorella pastoral or bucolic song, French pastourelle, Old Occitan pastorella shepherdess, young shepherdess, lyric genre, Spanish pastorela, Portuguese pastorela, and also Dutch †pastorelle, German Pastorelle.