Adam of Saint-Victor, Sequentia XXXVII in assumption Mariae
Ave, virgo singularis,
Porta vitae, stella maris,
Ave, decus virginum;
Tota virgo, sed fecunda,
Casta corde, carne munda
Gignens Christum Dominum.
Hail singular virgin,
Gate of life, star of the sea,
Hail, glory of virgins;
Entirely virgin, but fecund,
Chaste in heart, pure in body,
Bearing Christ the Lord.
Mater eius, qui creavit,
Qui distinxit et ornavit
Caelum, terram, maria,
Vivit, regnat, dominatur,
Cuius nullo terminatur
Fine regni gloria.
Mother of him who created,
who divided up and ornamented
the sky, the land, and the seas,
who lives, rules, and holds power,
the glory of whose reign is boundless.
Cuius? Eius -- quid dicemus?
Quibus verbis explicemus
Nomen tanti numenis?
Eius quippe magnitudo,
Virtus, honor, pulchritudo
Cor excedit hominis.
Whose? His -- what may we say?
With what words may we explain
the name of such a divinity?
His size, power, honor, beauty
exceed the heart of man.
Res mutando dic, natura,
Dic, ubi sunt tua iura?
Virgo parit filium,
Quae conceptu veritatis
Incorruptae castitatis
Non amittit lilium.
Say, O nature, by changing things,
where are your laws?
A virgin bore a son,
but, conceiving by means of the truth,
she did not cast aside
the lily of uncorrupted chastity.
Virgo fuit ante partum
Et, dum parit, et post partum,
Virgo mente, corpore;
Verbum patris sine matre
Facta mater sine patre
Genuit in tempore.
She was virgin before,
during, and after birth,
virgin in mind and in body;
Made a mother without father
she bore in time
the word of the father who had no mother.
Virga florem, stella solem,
Coaeternum patri prolem
Virgo mater genuit;
Sol et lumen et decorem,
Flos et fructum et odorem
Toti mundo praebuit
A branch bore a flower, a star bore the sun,
the virgin mother bore a child
coeternal with the father;
She brought forth the sun and light
and flower, and lovely fruit and fragrance
for the whole world.
Hic est enim ipso teste
Verum lumen et caeleste,
Cibus indeficiens,
Panis vivus manducatis,
Sed credentis et amantis
Animam reficiens.
Here by its own witness
is the true and heavenly light,
inexaustible food,
living food to be chewed,
but restoring the soul
of the believer and lover.
Eva mater per reatum
Stola vitae spoliatum
Morti dedit hominem.
Culpa perit, mors recedit
Mother Eve, through her guilt,
gave man, stripped of the cloak
of life, to death.
Guilt dies, death retreats.
Virgo potens et benigna,
Angelorum laude digna,
Plena Dei gratia,
Laudes tuas decantamus,
Corde tibi supplicamus,
Dele nostra vitia.
Powerful and gentle virgin,
worthy of angelic praise,
filled with the grace of God,
we sing your praises,
we pray to you with our hearts,
Absolve our sins.
Paenitentes confitemur
Mala, quibus promeremur
Iram Dei vindicem;
Tu miserta tui gregis,
O regina, mater regis,
Placa nobis iudicem.
Penitent, we confess
our crimes,
because of which we deserve
the avenging wrath of God;
Take pity on your flock,
o queen, mother of the king,
make our judge gentle with us.
O Maria, redemptoris
Creatura, creatoris
Genetrix magnifica,
Per te nobis reparatrix,
Per te fiat consolatrix
Tua proles unica.
O Mary, crated by the redeemer,
magnificent mother
of the creator,
your only child
is, through you, our restorer,
our consoler.
Donet nobis rectam mentem,
In adversis patientem,
In secundis humilem;
Fidem puram, spem securam,
Caritatem permansuram,
Qua nihil est melius;
May he give us an upright mind,
Patience in adversity,
humility when things go well;
pure faith, firm hope,
enduring love,
than which nothing is better.
Opus verae pietatis
Et decorem caritatis
Intus et exterius:
Ut sit vita speciosa,
Sit mors nostra pretiosa
In conspectu Domini.
a work of true piety
graced with love
inwardly and externally;
So that our life may be lovely
let our death be precious
in the sight of the Lord.
Deo patri filioque,
Procedenti ab utroque,
Sed non temporaliter,
Regnum, decus et potestas,
Honor, virtus et maiestas Nunc et aeternaliter.
For God the father and the son,
who comes from both, but not
in time, kingdom, glory and power,
honor, strength and majesty
now and forever.