The ancient voices of Advent: singing now to Mary

 

The ancient voices of Advent

From the Dublin Troper

Miserere miseris

Voices Found #8

Miserere miseris fons misericordie

Si misera furets parit aula glorie,

honor nostri generis, archa novi federi et aurora gracie:

certe si volueris, o benigna potessi dare locum venie.

Have mercy on those who suffer, Fount of Mercy.

You were merciful enough to bear the Prince of Glory;

honor our race, ark of the new covenant, dawn of grace:

surely if you wish, O kind Lady,

you can grant us peace and pardon.

Words: Latin 13th C; tran. and tr. Susan Hellauer

Music: Dublin Troper, Irish, ca. 1390

About the music

This Irish chant is a plea  to Mary for pardon and peace.  It celebrates her as  mother of Christ,  "ark of the new covenant," and bearer of the "Prince of Glory."    Susan Hellauer, who translated and transcribed the song, is a member of the Anonymous 4, a group of highly accomplished singers who pioneered performance and recording by women of liturgical chant.    Traditionally, only  monks, priests, or men and boy choirs sang the liturgy in  Anglican and Roman communions.

Reflection

Miserere miseris is a penitential prayer   offered in preparation for the birth of Christ. How do you prepare your heart and spirit for the birth of the Savior?  Does it help you to ponder the life of Mary, the Mother?  Ask our loving God to prepare your spirit to receive the coming Emmanuel, God with us.

From the Las Huelgas Codex of medieval Spain

Verbum Bonum, a  joyful processional chant,  hails Mary as   "the one who bore Daylight, ark of the new covenant, sign in the thorn bush, and the mistress of angels. " Out of the  13th century this piece was compiled and copied into the Las Huelgas manuscript by the nuns of that Spanish convent. The text celebrates  Mary as  bride of the highest Word, thenyoung mother who delivered the Christ child into our fallen world, restoring life and order to sinners, that we, amended and redeemed,  might have eternal joy.

Verbum bonum

Voices Found # 3

1a. Verbum bonum et suave personemus illud Ave

per quod Christi fit conclave virgo, mater, filia.

1b. Per quod Ave salutata mox concepit fecundata 

virgo David, stirpenata interspinas lilia.

2a. Ave veri Salomonis, mater, vellus Gedeonis

cuius magi tribus donis laudant  puerperium

2b. Ave solem genuisti, ave, prolem protulisti

mundo lapso contulisti vitam et imperium

3a. Ave, sponsa Verbisummi, maris portus,

signum dumi, aromatum virga fumi, angelorum domina

3b. Supplicamus, nos emenda, emendatos nos commenda tuo nato ad habenda

sempiterna gaudia.

Amen

Words: Codex Las Heulgas, 14th c.  tr Mary H. Stewart

Music: The Las Heulgas Manuscript, 14th c. ed. Gordon A. Anderson, American Institute of Musicology, arr. Robert A.M. Ross

Translation:

 Let us sound out the word pure and sweet,

that Ave, through which the virgin, a mother's daughter,

became the chamber of Christ.

that Ave, mother of the true Solomon, fleece of Gideon,

whose childbirth the magi praised with three gifts.

Ave, you who bore Daylight;

Ave, you brought forth an offspring into a fallen world

you brought life and order.

Ave, bride of the highest Word,

safe harbor from the sea

sign in the thorn bush

source of fragrant incense, mistress of angels,

amend us we plea

and amended, commend us to your son

that we might have eternal joy.

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