Alma Redemptoris Mater
"Alma Redemptoris Mater" (Ecclesiastical Latin: [ˈalma redempˈtoris ˈmater]; "Loving Mother of our Redeemer") is a Marian hymn, written in Latin hexameter, and one of four seasonal liturgical Marian antiphons sung at the end of the office of Compline (the other three being Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli and Salve Regina).
History
Hermannus Contractus (also called Herman the Cripple; 1013–1054) is said to have authored the hymn based on the writings of Saints Fulgentius, Epiphanius, and Irenaeus of Lyon.[1] It is mentioned in The Prioress's Tale, one of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
At one time, Alma Redemptoris Mater was briefly used as an antiphon for the hour of Sext for the Feast of the Assumption, but since the 13th century it has been a part of Compline.[2] Formerly, it was recited at the end of the canonical hours only from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Purification (2 February). It was translated into English by, amongst others, John Henry Newman in "Tracts for the Times", No. 75 (Kindly Mother of the Redeemer).
Text
Latin
Alma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo: tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.[3]
Depending on the period, the following combinations of a versicle, response, and collect are added. From the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve, the collect from the Fourth Sunday of Advent is used, and thereafter until the Feast of the Presentation, the collect from Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is used.
The first collect (“Grátiam tuam quáesumus...”) is notably also used in Masses during Advent, and is exactly the same prayer that concludes the Angelus (another Marian devotion focused on the Incarnation).
From the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve
℣. Ángelus Dómini nuntiávit Maríæ
℟. Et concépit de Spíritu Sancto.
Oremus
Grátiam tuam quáesumus, Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde; ut qui, ángelo nuntiánte, Christi Fílii tui Incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem ejus et crucem, ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúmdem Christum Dóminum nostrum.
℟. Amen.
From First Vespers of Christmas until the Presentation
℣. Post Partum Virgo invioláta permansísti.
℟. Dei Génitrix, intercéde pro nobis.
Orémus
Deus, qui salútis ætérnæ beátæ Maríæ virginitáte fecúnda humáno géneri práemia præstitísti: tríbue, quáesumus, ut ipsam pro nobis intercédere sentiámus, per quam merúimus, Auctórem vitæ suscípere Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum.
℟. Amen.
English translation
Loving Mother of the Redeemer,
who remains the accessible Gateway of Heaven,
and Star of the Sea,
Give aid to a falling people
that strives to rise;
O Thou who begot thy holy Creator,
while all nature marvelled,
Virgin before and after
receiving that "Ave" from the mouth of Gabriel,
have mercy on sinners.[4]
From the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve
℣. The Angel of the LORD brought tidings unto Mary
℟. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Let us pray.
Pour forth we beseech Thee, O LORD, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may, by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ, our Lord.
℟. Amen.
From First Vespers of Christmas until the Presentation
℣. After childbirth, O Virgin, thou didst remain inviolate.
℟. Intercede for us, O Mother of God.
Let us pray.
O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience her intercession for us, through whom we deserved to receive the Author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.
℟. Amen.
American Liturgy of the Hours translation
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again,
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before,
You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.[5]
Church Music Association of America translation
Kind mother of the Redeemer,
who remain the open gate of heaven and the star of the sea:
help your falling people who want to rise,
you who bore your holy Parent, while nature marveled:
a Virgin before and after,
receiving that Ave from Gabriel's mouth,
have mercy on [us] sinners.[6]
Translation of Edward Caswall (1814-1878)
Mother of Christ! hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep, and portal of the sky!
Mother of him who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive, and call to thee for aid:
Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.
In The Divine Office (1974) this is hymn number 118 and it recommends singing it to the tune SONG I, by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625).[7] This tune has a metre 10.10.10.10.10.10. Since the last line of the text has 12 syllables the tune will need to be modified.
Musical settings
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 2 settings, Alma Redemptoris Mater H.21 (1675), for 2 voices and bc, Alma Redemptoris Mater H.44 (16?), for soloists, chorus, 2 violins and bc.[8]
From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
Alma Redemptoris Mater (Kindly Mother of the Redeemer), the opening words of one of the four Antiphons sung at Compline and Lauds, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, at various seasons of the year. This particular Antiphon is assigned to that part of the year occurring between the first Vespers of the first Sunday in Advent and Compline of the 2nd of February (on which day it ceases, even if the Feast of the Purification should be transferred from that day). It consists of six hexameter verses in strict prosodial form, followed by versicle, response, and prayer, which vary for the season: until Christmas Eve (first Vespers of the Nativity), V. Angelus Domini etc., R. Et concepit etc., with the prayer Gratiam tuam etc.; thenceforward, V. Post partum etc., R. Dei Genitrix, etc., and the prayer Deus qui salutes æternæ etc. The hexameter verses are credited to Hermannus Contractus, or Hermann "the Cripple" (d. 1054), an interesting biographical notice of whom may be found in Duffield, "Latin Hymn Writers", 149–168. It has been translated into English by Father Caswall (Mother of Christ, hear thou thy people's cry); by Cardinal Newman, in "Tracts for the Times", No. 75 (Kindly Mother of the Redeemer), and J. Wallace (Sweet Mother of Our Saviour blest). Caswall's translation is found in the official "Manual of Prayers" (Baltimore), 76. In the Marquess of Bute's "Breviary; Winter Part", 176 (Maiden! Mother of Him Who redeemed us, thou that abides"), the unrhymed hexameter version is very literal.
Chaucer and English devotion
The Antiphon must have been very popular in England both before and after its treatment by Chaucer in his "Prioresses Tale", which is based wholly on a legend connected with its recitation by the "Litel Clergeon":
"This litel childe his litel book lerninge,
As he sat in the scole at his prymer,
He Alma redemptoris herde singe,
As children lerned hir antiphoner;
And, as he dorste, he drough hym ner and ner,
And herkned ay the wordes and the note,
Till he the firste vers coude al by rote."
Textual identification and related hymns
Professor Skeat, in his "Oxford Chaucer", thought that the Alma Redemptoris here was the sequence (cf. Mone, Lateinische Hymnen, II, 200):
Alma Redemptoris mater
Quem de cœlis misit Pater—
but subsequently (cf. Modern Philology, April, 1906, "Chaucer's 'Litel Clergeon'", for an explanation of the error and a good treatment of many questions related to the Antiphon) admitted that the Breviary Antiphon was referred to by Chaucer.
For other hymns or sequences founded on the Antiphon. see Analecta Hymnica XVII, 149 (De S. Maria Salome) and XLVI (Leipzig, 1905), 200, 201, No. 149 (Alma redemptoris Mater, omnium Salus etc.).
References
- Back to citation The Tradition of Catholic Prayer by Christian Raab, Harry Hagan 2007 ISBN 0-8146-3184-3 page 234
- Back to citation Apel, Willi (1958). Gregorian Chant. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 404.
- Back to citation Handbook of Prayers by James Socías 2006 ISBN 0-87973-579-1 page 472
- Back to citation Juergens, Sylvester P. (2004). The Roman Missal (1962). Angelus Press. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-892331-29-8.
- Back to citation Mahoney, D.D., James P. (1975). The Liturgy of the Hours. Catholic Book Publishing Corp. p. 1189. ASIN B0085XZIU6.
- Back to citation Rice, Richard (2012). Parish Book of Chant, 2nd edition. CMAA. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-9848652-9-1.
- Back to citation The Divine Office is a book for celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours in the Catholic Church’s Roman Rite. It is published by Collins (London and Glasgow) and The Talbot Press (Dublin). There are three volumes. In Volume I the hymn is on page 621* and the recommended tune on page 632*. In A Shorter Morning and Evening Prayer, Collins, 1983, ISBN 0005997348, the hymn is on page 315. The hymn was published in 1851 in Lyra Catholica, published by E. Dunigan, page 84.
- Back to citation Psychoyou, Theodora. "Les Meslanges latins".