MCE 06-01 Quam pulchra es

Edition

Motet

Quam pulchra es is the only motet entered three times in the Libroni complex. As for all the other motets, the main source for the edition is I-Mfd 1, which contains the complete cycle; the version in I-Mfd 2, despite a few variants, which concern mainly note values, probably stems from the same ancestor.
For all that can be inferred from the fragmentary state of I-Mfd [4], that version shares practically all the variant readings with I-Mfd 2. The wrong sentence ‘iam hyems transit’ instead of ‘in agrum’, appearing in the Tenor in both I-Mfd 2 and I-Mfd [4], is particularly significant in this regard, because it confirms that Scribe J, in entering the motet Quam pulchra es in I-Mfd [4], used I-Mfd 2 as ancestor.

Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)

Edition	English translation
Quam^[1] pulchra^[i] es et quam decora^[2], carissima^[3], in deliciis^[4]^[ii] tuis.	How beautiful art thou, and how comely, my dearest in delights!
Statura^[5] tua assimilata^[iii] est palmae^[6] et ubera tua botris^[7].	Thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
Caput tuum ut Carmelus, collum^[iv] tuum sicut turris eburnea.	Thy head is like Carmel, thy neck as a tower of ivory.
Veni, dilecte^[8] mi^[9]^[v], egrediamur in agrum et videamus si flores fructus^[10] parturierunt, si floruerunt mala punica.	Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us see if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish.
Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea.	There will I give thee my breasts.

^[1] Quam] O quam Librone [4], B

^[2] decora] electa Librone [4], A

^[3] carissima] carssima Librone [4], A

^[4] deliciis] deltiis Librone [4], B

^[5] statura] statua Librone 2, C

^[6] palmae] pame Librone 1, C

^[7] botris] botrus Librone 1 C A T B; Librone 2, A T; Librone [4], A T B; C no longer readable

^[8] dilecte] dilecta Librone 2, T

^[9] dilecte mi] iam hyems transit was added in Librone 2, T; Librone [4], T

^[10] fructus] finctus Librone [4], T

^[i] pulchra] pulcra Librone 1, C A T B; Librone 2, C A T B; Librone [4], C T B; A no longer readable

^[ii] deliciis] delitijs Librone [4], C; A no longer readable

^[iii] assimilata] asimilata Librone 1, C A T B; Librone 2, C

^[iv] collum] colum Librone 1, C B; Librone 2, T B; Librone [4], T

^[v] mi] my Librone 1, T

This edition of the motet text is based on three sources, namely on three of the four Milanese Libroni: 1, ff. 134v–135r (Scribe A); 2, ff. 48v–49r (Scribe A); [4], ff. 132v–133r (Scribe J).
The text was drawn from Song of Songs 7: 4–12; not only the spelling, but also the wording at times varies from scribe to scribe. In these cases it is not clear whether the scribes had a particular version of the text in mind, and thus wrote it down based on memory and habit, or they copied it from the model. As for the discrepancies in spelling, we find in this text phenomena that are typical for medieval Latin, for instance the interchangeability of t and c (‘deliciis’ / ‘delitiis’) or of i and y (‘mi’ / ‘my’). Double consonants are also left out quite freely, as in ‘colum’ for collum and ‘asimilata’ for assimilata. The presence or absence of h varies strongly (for instance in ‘pulcra’ for pulchra).
In addition to the variant readings (for instance ‘O quam’ for Quam in Librone [4], B, or the addition of a portion of the text from the Song of Songs [‘iam hyems transit’] in Librone 2, T and Librone [4], T) there are several errors, for instance ‘statua’ for statura in Librone 2, C; ‘pame’ for palme in Librone 1, C; ‘botrus’ for botris in Librone 1, C A T B, Librone 2, A T, and Librone [4], A, T, B (C no longer readable); and ‘finctus’ for fructus in Librone [4], T.

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Measure	Voice	Source	Category	Comment	Image
		I-Mfd1	designation of voices	–, Contra Altus, Tenor, Contra bassus
		I-Mfd2	designation of voices	–, [A]ltus, [T]enor, [B]assus
		I-Mfd4	designation of voices	[not visible], [Altus], Tenor, Baritonans
		I-Mfd1; I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	clefs	original clefs: g2, c2, c3, c4
1	4	I-Mfd1	clefs	c4 clef written twice
1	4	I-Mfd1	key signatures	key signature (b-flat) written twice
1-3	4	I-Mfd4	text underlay	O quam pulchra
2	1	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	two g' Sb instead of dotted Sb+Mi
2	4	I-Mfd1; I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	accidentals	flat not explicitely indicated before the Mi e
3-5	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	et quam decora missing
5-6	2	I-Mfd2	pitch and rythm	d' Sb+Mi+dotted Sb+Mi instead of dotted Sb+Sb+two Mi; passage no longer visible in I-Mfd [4]
6-7	1	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	d'' dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi
6-7	1	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	ligatures	lig. between g' and d''
6-7	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	g dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi
8-9	2	I-Mfd2	ligatures	lig. between g and a; passage no longer visible in I-Mfd [4]
8-9	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	ligatures	lig. between g and d'
9	1	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	f' dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi
9	2	I-Mfd2	pitch and rhythm	a dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi; passage no longer visible in I-Mfd [4]
9	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	d' dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi
10-11	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	accidentals	e' Sb without flat
16	2	I-Mfd2	pitch and rhythm	at the beginning of the bar b Sb instead of two Mi; passage no longer visible in I-Mfd [4]
22	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	c'dotted Sb instead of Sb+Mi
25	2	I-Mfd4	accidentals	b' Mi without flat
26-37	2	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	Caput...eburnea missing
28	1	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	b' Sb instead of two Mi
28	2	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	dotted Sb g' written later on an erased note (probably Sb a')	Show
28-29	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	b Sb instead of two Mi
29	2	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	Sb b erased between Mi b and Br f'	Show
32-33	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	ligatures	lig. between a and d'
36	3	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	Sb c' was Mi (emended by erasing the stem)	Show
38	1	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	Sb b' was Mi (emended by erasing the stem)	Show
42-44	3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	iam hyems transit (instead of in agrum)
44	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	g perfect Sb instead of Sb+Mi
46	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	accidentals	B Sb without flat
46-47	4	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	si flores fructus missing
46-49	2	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	si flores...parturierunt missing
48	2	I-Mfd2	clefs	key signature (b-flat) missing at the beginning of the fifth stave (corresponding to the middle of m. 48 in the edition)
52-53	3	I-Mfd1	text underlay	punica missing
57	1 3	I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	text underlay	tibi missing
57	4	I-Mfd2	accidentals	B Sb without flat
58	3	I-Mfd1; I-Mfd2; I-Mfd4	pitch and rhythm	second Mi b; emended because of the parallel fifths with the B and the dissonance with the c' of the A
59	1 2 3 4	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	Mx instead of Lo

Edition	English translation
Quam pulchra es et quam decora, carissima, in deliciis tuis.	How beautiful art thou, and how comely, my dearest in delights!
Statura tua assimilata est palmae et ubera tua botris.	Thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
Caput tuum ut Carmelus, collum tuum sicut turris eburnea.	Thy head is like Carmel, thy neck as a tower of ivory.
Veni, dilecte mi, egrediamur in agrum et videamus si flores fructus parturierunt, si floruerunt mala punica.	Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us see if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish.
Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea.	There will I give thee my breasts.

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