Sunday, September 15, 2013

Stabat Mater

Today is the feast of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  You can find out more about this beautiful devotion here.   The Mass for this feast was not celebrated, this also being a Sunday, but had it been, the sequence would have been this beautiful hymn:  


English Translation:

The mother stood sorrowing

by the cross, weeping
while her Son hung there;


Whose soul, lamenting,
sorrowing and grieving,
has been pierced by the sword.

O how sad and afflicted
was that blessed
Mother of her only-begotten Son.

Who wept and grieved
and trembled to behold
the torment of her glorious child.

What man would not weep
if he saw the Mother of Christ
in such torment?

Who could not be sorrowful
to behold the pious mother
grieving with her Son?

For the sins of His people
she saw Jesus in torment
and subjected to the whip.

She saw her sweet Son
dying, forsaken,
as He gave up the spirit.



Ah Mother, fount of love,
let me feel the force of grief,
that I may grieve with you.

Make my heart burn
with the love of Christ, the God,
that I may be pleasing to Him.

Holy Mother, bring this to pass,
transfix the wounds of Him who is crucified
firmly onto my heart.

Of your wounded Son,
who deigns to suffer for my sake,
let me share the pains.

Make me truly weep with you,
grieving with Him who is crucified
so that I may live.

To stand by the cross with you,
to be freely joined with you
in lamentation, I desire.

Virgin of virgins, resplendent,
do not now be harsh towards me,
let me weep with you.

Virgin of virgins, resplendent,
do not now be harsh towards me,
let me weep with you.

Let me carry Christ's death,
the destiny of his passion,
and meditate upon his wounds.

Let me suffer the wounds
of that cross, steeped
in love of your Son.

Fired and excited
by you, O Virgin, let me be defended
on the day of judgement.

Let me be shielded by the cross,
protected by Christ's death,
cherished by grace.

When my body dies,
let my soul be given
the glory of paradise. Amen.


Full Latin Verses

Stabat mater dolorosa
juxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.


Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.


O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!


Quæ mœrebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati pœnas inclyti.


Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?


Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?


Pro peccatis suæ gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.


Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.


Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.


Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.


Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.


Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
pœnas mecum divide.


Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.


Juxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.


Virgo virginum præclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.


Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.


Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.


Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.


Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriæ.


Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animæ donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment