MCE 03-03 Ave decus virginale

Edition

Motet

Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)

Edition

English translation

Ave, decus virginale,
Templum dei speciale[i],
Per te fiat veniale
Omne quod committimus.

Hail, virginal splendour,
special temple of God,
through you may every sin
we commit be forgivable.

O domina piissima,
Omni laude dignissima,
Fac nos digne te laudare,
Venerari et amare.

O most pious lady,
worthiest of every praise,
make us praise you worthily,
venerate, and love.

O domina deo cara,
Stirpe decens[1] et praeclara
Sed meritis praeclarior.

O lady dear to God,
becoming and outstanding in lineage,
but more outstanding in merits.

O domina dominarum,
O regina reginarum,
Propter tuam pietatem
Pelle nostram paupertatem.

O lady of ladies,
o queen of queens,
banish our poverty
through your compassion.

O preclara stella maris,
Quae cum deo gloriaris,
Nos ad portum fac venire,
Nunquam sinas nos[2] perire.

O beautiful star of the sea,
you who glory with God,
make us come to the haven,
never allow us to perish.


[1] decens] docens Librone 3, A

[2] Numquam sinas nos] numquam nos sinas Librone 3, B


[i] speciale] spetiale Librone 3, C A

This edition is based on Librone 3, ff. 127v–128r, where the motet was written by Scribe I.
The scribe was very careful and there are almost no spelling or wording mistakes. Only in one case, namely in the Altus, the word decens is spelled ‘docens’. 
The subject of the motet text is Mary. In all verses she is invoked (‘Ave’, ‘O’) and asked for help. The tone of the text is very devotional: its sources are, in fact, Marian prayers (O Maria mater Dei, AH 46, no. 129, p. 172; compare also Ave regina coelorum / clarum iubar supernorum, AH 32, no. 27, pp. 43–47) and only in one case (verse 1) a Marian sequence (Ave virgo gratiosa/gloriosa, AH 54, no. 278, pp. 419–22). While the verse drawn from the sequence is identical in the motet, the prayers present different wordings in the motet compared to the texts edited in AH.[1] The most striking difference is that the person speaking in the motet is a first person plural (‘nos’), while the prayers are more individual and the speaker is in the first person singular (‘ego’, ‘me’). The change from ego to nos can be interpreted as a ‘change of scenario’, a switch from a setting of private devotion to a more liturgical or public context.


[1] For the second prayer, see also the Burnet Psalter (Aberdeen University Library, MS 25), f. 103r–v, including the verse missing in AH.

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Measure Voice Source Category Comment Image
I-Mfd3 designation of voices –, Altus, Tenor primus, Tenor secundus, Bassus
I-Mfd3 clefs original clefs: c1, c4, c4, c4, f4
18 5 I-Mfd3 text underlay the syllables ci-a in speciale are forcedly treated here as a single syllable
20 5 I-Mfd3 text underlay lig. splitted between two syllables ([Ga-bri]-e-le]) for a better distribution of the text
43-44 5 I-Mfd3 text underlay lig. splitted between three syllables ([di]-gnis-si-ma) for a better distribution of the text
53-55 5 I-Mfd3 text underlay lig. splitted between three syllables (Ve-ne-ra-[ri]) for a better distribution of the text
54-57 3 I-Mfd3 pitch and rhythm a superfluous fifth rest of Br has probably been added in a second moment Show
80-83 2 I-Mfd3 text underlay repetition inserted in order to better synchronize the text declamation in the various voices; from here on the edition does not follow the apparent text-underlay of the ms.
92 2 I-Mfd3 pitch and rhythm the prolonged c' generates awkward dissonances with the other voices; a possible (even though not entirely satisfying) emendation would be to postulate a rest instead of the punctum after the Br Show
98-99 2 I-Mfd3 pitch and rhythm the blackened group in the ms. consists of a Lo and a Br: I split the Lo in order to accommodate the text
Text
Edition English translation

Ave, decus virginale,
Templum dei speciale,
Per te fiat veniale
Omne quod committimus.

Hail, virginal splendour,
special temple of God,
through you may every sin
we commit be forgivable.

O domina piissima,
Omni laude dignissima,
Fac nos digne te laudare,
Venerari et amare.

O most pious lady,
worthiest of every praise,
make us praise you worthily,
venerate, and love.

O domina deo cara,
Stirpe decens et praeclara
Sed meritis praeclarior.

O lady dear to God,
becoming and outstanding in lineage,
but more outstanding in merits.

O domina dominarum,
O regina reginarum,
Propter tuam pietatem
Pelle nostram paupertatem.

O lady of ladies,
o queen of queens,
banish our poverty
through your compassion.

O preclara stella maris,
Quae cum deo gloriaris,
Nos ad portum fac venire,
Nunquam sinas nos perire.

O beautiful star of the sea,
you who glory with God,
make us come to the haven,
never allow us to perish.