MCE 03-04 Ave sponsa verbi summi

Edition

Motet

The version in I-Mfd 1 misses the last section (from ‘Gaude virgo fruens deliciis’); see the Critical Apparatus for details.

Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)

Edition

English translation

Ave, sponsa verbi summi,
Maris portus, signum dumi,
Aromatum virga[1] fumi,
Angelorum domina.

Hail, bride of the highest Word,
haven of the sea, token of the briar bush,
rod of the smoke of spices,
lady of the angels.

Gaude, virgo salutata
Gabriele nuntio[i],
Gaude, mater iucundata
Iesu puerperio[2].

Rejoice, virgin saluted
by the messenger Gabriel,
rejoice, mother delighted
by the birth of Jesus.

Gaude, mundi domina,
Dulcis super omnia.
Gaude, caeli regina,
Evae tollens vitia[ii].

Rejoice, lady of the world,
sweet above all creatures.
Rejoice, Queen of heaven,
you who take away the sins of Eve.

O plena prae ceteris
Gratia divina.

O full of divine grace
beyond all others!

De peccati vinculo
Hoste carne saeculo
Libera nos, o Maria.

From the bond of sin,
from the Enemy, the flesh, and the world,
Free us, o Mary.

Gaude, virgo fruens delitiis,
Expurga nos a nostris vitiis,
Iam rosa iuncta lilio,
Et iunge tuo filio.

Rejoice, virgin, you who enjoy delights,
purge us from our sins,
[You who are] already a rose joined to a lily,
and unite [us] with your Son.

Mater dei exaudi nos,
Ora deum tuum natum
Ne damnet nos.

Hear us, Mother of God,
pray God your Son,
lest He condemn us.

Et regnare fac renatos
A peccatis[3] expurgatos
Pietate solita.

And make the reborn reign,
purged from sin,
through your usual piety.


[1] virga] virgo Librone 1, C T1

[2] puerperio] puerperi Librone 1, C T2

[3] peccatis] reatu Librone 3, B


[i] nuntio] nuncio Librone 3, C T1

[ii] vitia] vicia Librone 3, T2

This edition is based on two sources, namely Librone 1, ff. 147v–149r (copied by Scribe A) and Librone 3, ff. 128v–130r (copied by Scribe I). Librone 1 omits the last part of the motet (after ‘Libera nos, o Maria’).
The scribes mostly used a standard orthography, but introduced quite a few semantic variants. In the first verse Scribe A wrote ‘virgo’ instead of virga in C and T1: this variant, however, makes little sense in the context. Also, he wrote ‘puerperi’ instead of puerperio in C and T2 (the missing final letter was probably forgotten after the turn of the page). In Librone 3 Scribe I wrote ‘reatu’ instead of peccatis in B, but in this case the variant is not problematic grammatically and can be considered equivalent to the prevailing reading peccatis.
The motet draws mostly on Marian sequences – inter alia, the sequence Verbum bonum et suave (AH 54, no. 218, pp. 343–45, verse 5), from which the first verse is taken – but also includes a verse taken from a Marian prayer (‘Gaude virgo fruens deliciis, / Expurga nos a nostris vitiis, / Iam rosa iuncta lilio, / Et iunge tuo filio’).[1] The text recalls the structure (‘Gaude… Gaude… Gaude...’) of poems about the ‘Joys of Mary’, a theme widespread in late medieval piety. In general the motet alternates salutations of Mary (‘Ave’, ‘Gaude’) with requests for intercession and help for sinners (‘Libera nos’, ‘Expurga nos’, ‘Exaudi nos’).


[1] The idea of a possible Premonstratensian origin of this verse is raised in François Petit, O. Praem., La spiritualité des prémontrés au XIIe et XIIIe siècles (Paris: Vrin, 1947).

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Measure Voice Source Category Comment Image
I-Mfd1 rubrics and verbal directions no ‘loco’ rubric
I-Mfd1 designation of voices –, Contra Altus, Tenor primus, Tenor secundus, Contra bassus
I-Mfd3 designation of voices –, Altus, Tenor primus, Tenor secundus, Bassus
I-Mfd1; I-Mfd3 clefs original clefs: c1, c4, c4, c4, f4
2-6 5 I-Mfd1 text underlay verbi summi missing
4 2 I-Mfd3 accidentals b without flat
4-6 2 I-Mfd1 text underlay verbi summi missing
7 1 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm a' non-dotted Sb + a' Mi instead of the dotted Sb
10 4 I-Mfd3 accidentals b without flat
12 5 I-Mfd3 accidentals B without flat
14 2 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm Mi g + Sm f + Sm g instead of Sb g
17-19 5 I-Mfd1 text underlay Gaude, virgo salutata missing
18-19 5 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm F Br instead of Sb + Sb
20 2 I-Mfd1 coloration f'-e' in minor color
20-22 3 I-Mfd1 text underlay Gabriele nuntio missing
21 1 I-Mfd1 coloration no minor color
22-25 5 I-Mfd1 text underlay Gaude, mater iucundata missing
25-26 I-Mfd1 rubrics and verbal directions ‘Verte cito’ directions at ff. 147v–148r, pointing to the conclusion of the piece on the following opening, and corresponding to the passage between mm. 25 and 26 in the edition.
26 I-Mfd1 mensuration and proportion signs C3, instead of 3, at the start of a new opening (ff. 148v-149r)
28-31 2 I-Mfd3 text underlay Dulcis super omnia. Gaude, caeli regina missing
33-35 5 I-Mfd3 text underlay Gratia divina missing
34-36 2 I-Mfd3 text underlay Gratia divina. De peccati vinculo missing
36-39 2 I-Mfd3 text underlay Libera nos, o Maria missing
36-39 1 I-Mfd1 text underlay Libera nos, o Maria was missing but was filled in by Gaffurius
36-39 3 I-Mfd1 text underlay Hoste carne saeculo Libera nos, o Maria was missing; Gaffurius filled in the words Libera nos, o Maria
37 2 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm the second pair of Sb a + Mi b is missing (haplography) Show
38-39 I-Mfd3 rubrics and verbal directions ‘Verte cito’ directions at ff. 128v–129r, pointing to the conclusion of the piece on the following opening, and corresponding to the passage between mm. 38 and 39 in the edition.
38 3 I-Mfd1; I-Mfd3 pitch and rhythm Mi f + Sb e, both blackened, in I-Mfd 1; two white Mi followed by punctum divisionis in I-Mfd 3
38 5 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm Sb A not blackened (but with punctum divisionis inserted between the last Mi of m. 37 and the first of m. 38)
39 1 2 3 4 5 I-Mfd1 pitch and rhythm the version of the ms. ends with the first note of this measure (C: Lo d'; A: Lo a [not f]; T1: Lo d; T2: Lo d [instead of rest]; B: Lo d [not a])
39 3 I-Mfd1 musical symbols final double barline missing
Text
Edition English translation

Ave, sponsa verbi summi,
Maris portus, signum dumi,
Aromatum virga fumi,
Angelorum domina.

Hail, bride of the highest Word,
haven of the sea, token of the briar bush,
rod of the smoke of spices,
lady of the angels.

Gaude, virgo salutata
Gabriele nuntio,
Gaude, mater iucundata
Iesu puerperio.

Rejoice, virgin saluted
by the messenger Gabriel,
rejoice, mother delighted
by the birth of Jesus.

Gaude, mundi domina,
Dulcis super omnia.
Gaude, caeli regina,
Evae tollens vitia.

Rejoice, lady of the world,
sweet above all creatures.
Rejoice, Queen of heaven,
you who take away the sins of Eve.

O plena prae ceteris
Gratia divina.

O full of divine grace
beyond all others!

De peccati vinculo
Hoste carne saeculo
Libera nos, o Maria.

From the bond of sin,
from the Enemy, the flesh, and the world,
Free us, o Mary.

Gaude, virgo fruens delitiis,
Expurga nos a nostris vitiis,
Iam rosa iuncta lilio,
Et iunge tuo filio.

Rejoice, virgin, you who enjoy delights,
purge us from our sins,
[You who are] already a rose joined to a lily,
and unite [us] with your Son.

Mater dei exaudi nos,
Ora deum tuum natum
Ne damnet nos.

Hear us, Mother of God,
pray God your Son,
lest He condemn us.

Et regnare fac renatos
A peccatis expurgatos
Pietate solita.

And make the reborn reign,
purged from sin,
through your usual piety.