MCE 06-02 Alma redemptoris mater
Motet
Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)
Edition |
English translation |
Alma redemptoris mater, quae pervia caeli |
Kindly mother of the redeemer, you who remain as an open gate of heaven, |
and star of the sea; succour the people |
|
Surgere qui curat populo. Tu, quae genuisti, |
who fall, but seek to rise. You who begot |
Natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem, |
as Nature marvelled your holy begetter, |
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore |
virgin before and after, from Gabriel’s mouth |
Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere. |
accepting that famous Ave, have mercy on sinners. |
[1] manes] manens Librone 1, C A T B
[i] succurre] sucurre Librone 1, A T
This edition is based on Librone 1, ff. 135v–136r, where the text was written by Scribe A. The copyist inserted a single phonetic variant and a mistake: all voices read ‘manens’ (a present active participle) instead of manes (the second person singular of the present active indicative of the verb manēre) with which Mary is addressed directly as ‘You’. This has been emended in the text, corresponding with the ‘standard’ text of the very widespread hexametrical Marian antiphon Alma redemptoris mater.[1] This antiphon was sung during Advent and the Christmas season, a period of the liturgical year in which Mary played an important role, and the text, which focuses on the virgin birth (‘Virgo prius ac posterius’) and Mary’s motherhood (‘Tu, quae genuisti, / Natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem’), making this motet cycle suitable to be performed during Advent or the Christmas season.
[1] See Herbert Musurillo, ‘The Mediaeval Hymn Alma Redemptoris: A Linguistic Analysis’, The Classical Journal, 52, no. 4 (1957), 171–74.
Text
Edition | English translation |
---|---|
Alma redemptoris mater, quae pervia caeli |
Kindly mother of the redeemer, you who remain as an open gate of heaven, |
Porta manes et stella maris, succurre cadenti |
and star of the sea; succour the people |
Surgere qui curat populo. Tu, quae genuisti, |
who fall, but seek to rise. You who begot |
Natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem, |
as Nature marvelled your holy begetter, |
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore |
virgin before and after, from Gabriel’s mouth |
Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere. |
accepting that famous Ave, have mercy on sinners. |