Marian texts
ChoirMan
I have programmed a selection of Marian motets for an upcoming
concert, and I am in need of some translation assistance. For most of
the texts below, I have supplied text and imperfect translations, for
which I ask your improvements. The third text (Isaac's "O decus
ecclesiae") seems to be in the late-15th-century overly-florid style
of liturgical declamation, which makes it more challenging - for that
one, rather than submit a mistake-ridden monstrosity, I simply submit
the Latin, for your perusal and suggestions.
Thanks, once again, for your many kindnesses -
ChoirMan
* * *
1a. Ave Sanctissima Maria (Gombert)
Ave, Sanctissima Maria,
mater Dei, Regina caeli,
porta paradisi, Domina mundi,
pura singularis:
Tu es Virgo,
tu concepisti Jesum sine peccato,
tu peperisti creatorem et Salvatorem mundi
in quo non dubito:
libera me ab omnia malo,
et ora pro peccatis meis.
Hail, Most Holy Mary,
mother of God, Queen of Heaven,
gate of paradise, Queen of the earth,
uniquely pure:
You are the Virgin;
without sin you conceived Jesus;
you carried the creator and Savior of the world;
of this, there is no doubt.
Free me from all evil,
and pray for my sins.
1b. Ave Sanctissima Maria, v.2 (La Rue)
Ave, Sanctissima Maria,
mater Dei, Regina caeli,
porta paradisi, Domina mundi.
Tu es singularis Virgo pura.
Tu concepisti Jesum de Spiritu Sancto.
Creatorem mundi in quo ego non dubito.
Ora pro me Jesum dilectum tuum,
et libera me ab omnibus malis.
Hail, Most Holy Mary,
mother of God, Queen of Heaven,
gate of paradise, Queen of the earth.
You are the singularly pure Virgin.
You conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
The creator of the world, in whom I do not doubt.
Pray for me, O Jesus—I desire you,
and free me from all evil.
2. Ave Regina caelorum (Obrecht)
Ave Regina caelorum, Mater Regis angelorum:
O Maria, flos virginum velut rosa velut lilium.
Funde preces ad Filium pro salute fidelium.
Hail, Queen of heaven, Mother of the King of angels:
O Mary, virgin and flower like the rose, like the lily.
Pour out prayers to the Son for the salvation of the faithful.
3. O decus ecclesiae Virgo (Isaac)
O decus ecclesiae Virgo
O gloriosissima mundi salve et cardine gloria magna chori domus magni
reverende et maxima preses summe pates grata innumeranter manu.
Tu spes care venus
tu marina, tu regula in te virgines que tu firma columna, Dei.
Te laudant omnes
et plaudant undique turbe,
spargitur in lato nomen in urbe tuum sic habeas,
quecumque precatus pura voluntas.
Sic vitae ditans det tibi ditans det tibi secla Deus ut pia purpurea
tingit tua tempora amictus,
ambiat et sacrum sicut diadema caput: Amen.
[cantus firmus:]
O decus virgo salve
dive domus summe pates grata
tu spes care venus
Tu regula virgines columna.
Te laudant omnes spargitur in tuum
quecumque precatus sic vitae ditans det secla Deus tingit tua amictus
caput.
Johannes Patruus
"Domina mundi" is Lady (or mistress) of the (or this) world. (It's difficult
to find a rendering of "Domina" which doesn't have unfortunate overtones in
English. So perhaps better to stick with "Queen"!)
"peperisti" is "you brought forth" in the sense of "you gave birth to":
http://lysy2.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/words.exe?peperisti
"non dubito" is not impersonal but personal - "I do not doubt"
"omnia" is, I presume, a typo for "omni".
That's all I have time for today.
Patruus
Ed Cryer
"Johannes Patruus" <inv...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:686fv0F...@mid.individual.net...
I've found an online document for Heinrich Isaac's O Decus Ecclesiae
Virgo; with translation.
http://tinyurl.com/46cn3w
Ed
B. T. Raven
I don't have a problem with "mistress of the world" but others might.
You could use "ruler" or "empress" if you want something to distinguish
between regina and domina.
> You are the singularly pure Virgin.
> You conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
> The creator of the world, in whom I do not doubt.
> Pray for me, O Jesus—I desire you,
[Something's wrong here (above). Are you sure of the original?
confer:
"
O decus ecclesiae virgo gloriosissima mundi salve et cardinalis gloria
magna chori dive domus magni reverende et
maxima praeses summe pates grata innumeranter manu. Tu spes care venus
tu marina tu regula in te naves que tu firma
columna Dei. Te laudant omnes et plaudant undique turbae spargitur in
lata nomen in urbe tuum.
Sic habeas quecumque precatum pura voluntate sic vitae ditans det tibi
secla Deus ut pia purpurea tingit tua tempora
amictus ambiat et sacrum sicut diadema caput. Amen.
"
from site cited by Ed, modified in places. Notice the heretical
translation of "praeses" as goddess. And compared with venus (or beauty)
but why care venus? Why tu regula....tu firma (imperatives?) Marina
can't be a verb. Are the ships in Maria Marina? Navesque or naves quas?
It looks like both Latin texts are corrupt.
Eduardus
Johannes Patruus
"Ora pro me Jesum dilectum tuum" is "Pray for me to Jesus, your beloved."
"Tu es singularis Virgo pura" might alternatively be any or all of the
following:
- You alone are a pure virgin.
- You, Virgin, are singularly pure.
- You are the only pure virgin.
Patruus
Johannes Patruus
> 2. Ave Regina caelorum (Obrecht)
>
> Ave Regina caelorum, Mater Regis angelorum:
> O Maria, flos virginum velut rosa velut lilium.
> Funde preces ad Filium pro salute fidelium.
>
> Hail, Queen of heaven, Mother of the King of angels:
> O Mary, virgin and flower like the rose, like the lily.
> Pour out prayers to the Son for the salvation of the faithful.
'Virginum' is genitive plural, giving us "flower of virgins".
For 'Filium', "your Son" might be better than "the Son".
Patruus