26 July 2021

FOR LATINISTS

The post-conciliar revisers, in their first draft of hymns for the new Office Book, proposed the following 16th(?) century hymn, present in the Benedictine Breviary, which goes to the tune of Ave maris Stella. 

 I think it didn't make it through to the cut in the Liturgia Horarum because they decided they needed a more 'Joachim' hymn to counterbalance all those 'Anna' hymns which the Tradition offers. 

Gaude, mater Anna, 

gaude mater sancta, 

cum sis Dei facta 

genetrix avia. 

Plaude tali natae 

virgini Mariae; 

eius genitore 

Ioachim congaude.

In hac nostra terra 

primo benedicta, 

quae fuit in Eva 

quondam maledicta. 

Ergo sume laudes 

quas damus ovantes; 

nos ab omni sorde 

tua prece terge. 

Sit laus Deo Patri, 

summo Christo decus, 

Spiritui Sancto 

honor, tribus unus.

3 comments:

  1. The notes in Te decet hymnus do seem to point at a desire to let S. Joachim share the limelight. But perhaps Dom Lentini also took umbrage at the rhythmical anomaly in line 4 (avía, [sic])?

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  2. There's a translation of "Gaude, mater Anna" which preserves the metre in "The Prayer Book Office - Anglican Divine Service" published in 1967 by Morehouse-Barlow, New York:

    Mother Anne, be joyful:
    Sing, O mother holy,
    Since thou art the parent
    Of God's Mother lowly:

    Praise thy wondrous daughter:
    Joachim, too, raises
    To the Virgin Mary
    His paternal praises.

    For in her our planet
    First hath benediction,
    Which in hapless Eva
    Suffered malediction.

    Therefore take the praises
    Joyous hearts are paying;
    And from all defilement
    Cleanse us by thy praying.

    Father, Son eternal,
    Holy Ghost supernal,
    With one praise we bless thee,
    Three in one confess thee. Amen.

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  3. Here's one in honour of St Yves, a patron of lawyers, I wish were included, if only for the first verse, with its gentle dig at my profession:

    Sanctus Ivo erat Brito

    Advocatus et non latro

    Res miranda populo!

    AvB.

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