 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
SONGS OF THE ANNUNCIATION.
69. Ave Gracia Plena
Ave gracia plena, devoide of all trespace,
Ryght well knowen to god before the world began,
Promysed of prophetes for oure chyefe solace,
Annunciat by Aungell was thy concepcioun,
Without originall synne as diuerse maketh mencioun—
Bothe gotene and borne, non in like case—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Ryght well knowen to god before the world began,
Promysed of prophetes for oure chyefe solace,
Annunciat by Aungell was thy concepcioun,
Without originall synne as diuerse maketh mencioun—
Bothe gotene and borne, non in like case—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Haile! gracious virgyn, in materno vtero
Sanctified also, or euere thou wast borne
Esayas prophesyed, withe diuver other moo,
þat þu shuldest conceyve which most helpe men forlorne,
The blessid ster of Jacob promysed long beforne,
The swete flowre of Naȝareth, most feyrest of face—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Sanctified also, or euere thou wast borne
Esayas prophesyed, withe diuver other moo,
þat þu shuldest conceyve which most helpe men forlorne,
The blessid ster of Jacob promysed long beforne,
The swete flowre of Naȝareth, most feyrest of face—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
104
Haile! generouse lady, in thy tender age
Inuiolate, vnto god of most hye devocioun,
Beawtefyed with vertue and voide of all owterage,
O fresshe fragraunt floure, of greatest discrecioun
Ab inicio predestynate, by diuine eleccioun,
In whome our sauyour crist chose his dwellyng place—
Wherefore, heile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Inuiolate, vnto god of most hye devocioun,
Beawtefyed with vertue and voide of all owterage,
O fresshe fragraunt floure, of greatest discrecioun
Ab inicio predestynate, by diuine eleccioun,
In whome our sauyour crist chose his dwellyng place—
Wherefore, heile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Haile! pure virgyn, mary, in thy childes byrthe—
Of carefull payne and woo, there was non in the
Whiche women do suffre—þu haddest all ioye & myrthe,
Therfore þu maist be called a goddes; yf any be
Other in heven or erthe, then surely thow art she—
One spyryte and will with cryst in his palace.
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Of carefull payne and woo, there was non in the
Whiche women do suffre—þu haddest all ioye & myrthe,
Therfore þu maist be called a goddes; yf any be
Other in heven or erthe, then surely thow art she—
One spyryte and will with cryst in his palace.
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Haile! precellent lady, bothe quene & empresse,
The chosen spowse of god his promyse to fulfyll,
Pray for vs, pore wretches þat lyve here in distres,
O flowre of virginite, whiche neuer thoghtist yll;
Thy son will performe what so euer is thy will.
Loke! for whome thow prayest, releassed is his trespace—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
The chosen spowse of god his promyse to fulfyll,
Pray for vs, pore wretches þat lyve here in distres,
O flowre of virginite, whiche neuer thoghtist yll;
Thy son will performe what so euer is thy will.
Loke! for whome thow prayest, releassed is his trespace—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
105
Haile! rubicounde Rose, of womenhod the flowre,
Synes thy fyrst begynnyng our lord was with the,
Of thy carnall substaunce he became our sauyoure.
Perceyvyng thy gret godenesse & humilite,
Thow optayndest grace before the deite,
Or euer cryst did come into thy palace—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Synes thy fyrst begynnyng our lord was with the,
Of thy carnall substaunce he became our sauyoure.
Perceyvyng thy gret godenesse & humilite,
Thow optayndest grace before the deite,
Or euer cryst did come into thy palace—
Wherfore, haile! glorious lady, mary full of grace.
Haile! serene princesse, shynyng in vertu clere,
Pray for vs suche grace here presently to optayne.
O carbuncle of chastite, in gyftes þu hast no pere;
Kepe vs from heresyes and all opynyons vayne,
Desyre cryst, thy son, that we may remayne
Aboue with hym in syon, þat ioyfull heyvenly place—
Now here I do conclude, haile! mary, full of grace.
Pray for vs suche grace here presently to optayne.
O carbuncle of chastite, in gyftes þu hast no pere;
Kepe vs from heresyes and all opynyons vayne,
Desyre cryst, thy son, that we may remayne
Aboue with hym in syon, þat ioyfull heyvenly place—
Now here I do conclude, haile! mary, full of grace.
Amen Spes mea Jesus Maria.
70. Ecce! Ancilla Domini
‘Ecce! ancilla domini’—
thus seyde the virgine by-thute eny vyse,
Whan gabryll grett hure gracyously:
‘hayle be thu, virgine! I-preued on prys,
thu shalt conceyue a swete spyce.’
then seyde the virgine so myldely:
‘Ther-to I han ful lytel of prys,
ecce! Ancilla domini.’
thus seyde the virgine by-thute eny vyse,
Whan gabryll grett hure gracyously:
‘hayle be thu, virgine! I-preued on prys,
thu shalt conceyue a swete spyce.’
then seyde the virgine so myldely:
‘Ther-to I han ful lytel of prys,
ecce! Ancilla domini.’
106
hayle be thu, gracious! by-thute eny gult,
mayden I-bore alther best,
Al en thy body schal be fulfullyd,
That profythes haueþ ypreched ful prest;
he wyl be bore of thy brest.
Then sayde the virgine so myldely:
‘he ys to me a welcome gest,
Ecce! ancilla domini.’
mayden I-bore alther best,
Al en thy body schal be fulfullyd,
That profythes haueþ ypreched ful prest;
he wyl be bore of thy brest.
Then sayde the virgine so myldely:
‘he ys to me a welcome gest,
Ecce! ancilla domini.’
Then sayde that Angel: ‘conseyue þu schalt
With-in þyn holy body bryȝt
A chyld þat Ihesus schall be I-callyd,
Þat ys þe gryte godes sone of myȝt;
þu ert hys Tabernacle fayre I-dyȝt.
Then seyde þe virgine mildely:
‘Syþ he wroȝt neuer a-ȝeyn þe ryȝt,
Ecce,’ &c.
With-in þyn holy body bryȝt
A chyld þat Ihesus schall be I-callyd,
Þat ys þe gryte godes sone of myȝt;
þu ert hys Tabernacle fayre I-dyȝt.
Then seyde þe virgine mildely:
‘Syþ he wroȝt neuer a-ȝeyn þe ryȝt,
Ecce,’ &c.
Kalle hym ihesus of nasaret,
god & man in on degre,
that in the rode schalle suffre deth
and regne schalle in dauidys dignite,
wel goude tydynges hath sente to the.
then seyde the virgine so myldely:
‘he schal be dyre welcome to me,
Ecce! Ancilla domini.’
god & man in on degre,
that in the rode schalle suffre deth
and regne schalle in dauidys dignite,
wel goude tydynges hath sente to the.
then seyde the virgine so myldely:
‘he schal be dyre welcome to me,
Ecce! Ancilla domini.’
71. Gabriel Came Down with Light
Alma redemtoris mater
Swete lady, now ȝe wys,
As ye bene quene of heuen blys,
Why þat yowre name callyd ys
Redemtoris mater.
As ye bene quene of heuen blys,
Why þat yowre name callyd ys
Redemtoris mater.
107
I saw gabryel cum doune with lyȝth,
To me he seyde, þat swete wyȝth,
‘Aue maria, þu shalt hyȝth
Redemtoris mater.’
To me he seyde, þat swete wyȝth,
‘Aue maria, þu shalt hyȝth
Redemtoris mater.’
‘Man to safe þat was for-lore,
As prophetis seyde here be-fore,
Ihūs of þe now wyll by bore,
Redemtoris mater.’
As prophetis seyde here be-fore,
Ihūs of þe now wyll by bore,
Redemtoris mater.’
Oure ladye merwaylede al yn here þoȝth,
How þat þe angele seyde myȝt be wroȝth,
Syne mane she knewe nott,
Redemtoris mater.
How þat þe angele seyde myȝt be wroȝth,
Syne mane she knewe nott,
Redemtoris mater.
‘Now drede þe nouȝt, my lady bryȝth,
The holy gost one yow ys lyȝth,
And werke so þat ye shall hyȝth
Redemtoris mater.’
The holy gost one yow ys lyȝth,
And werke so þat ye shall hyȝth
Redemtoris mater.’
Worþy lady, & quene of blysse,
Off þy mercy lete vs not mysse,
Thynke þat þy name called ys
Redemtoris mater.
Off þy mercy lete vs not mysse,
Thynke þat þy name called ys
Redemtoris mater.
By prophetis hit was seyde be-forne,
To safe mankynde þat was for-lorne,
Ihūs of þe now shalbe borne,
Redemtoris mater.
To safe mankynde þat was for-lorne,
Ihūs of þe now shalbe borne,
Redemtoris mater.
Lete þy mercy now spring & sprede,
ffor-sake not man for hys mysdede,
To þe men call in euery nede,
Redemtoris mater.
ffor-sake not man for hys mysdede,
To þe men call in euery nede,
Redemtoris mater.
108
Lyft vp þy hert, man, & see
The frout of lyfe she beryth to þe.
Withoute ende here name shall be
Redemtoris mater.
The frout of lyfe she beryth to þe.
Withoute ende here name shall be
Redemtoris mater.
I wyll & shall Att my conynge
Seken & seruen þat worþy thynge,
ffor she was clepyd in here chyldynge,
Redemtoris mater.
Seken & seruen þat worþy thynge,
ffor she was clepyd in here chyldynge,
Redemtoris mater.
An Angele seyde to þe mayden fre,
‘The holygost shall com to the
And þorowe hys werkyne þu shalt be
Redemtoris mater.’
‘The holygost shall com to the
And þorowe hys werkyne þu shalt be
Redemtoris mater.’
Maydene & modyr yn on persone.
was neuer non fownde but ye Alone;
Pray we All to heuyne kynge A bone,
Redemtoris mater.
was neuer non fownde but ye Alone;
Pray we All to heuyne kynge A bone,
Redemtoris mater.
72. My Thought Was on a Maid so Bright
Alma redemptoris mater
As I lay vp-on a nyth
My þowth was on a berd so brith
That men clepyn marye ful of myth
Redemptoris mater.
My þowth was on a berd so brith
That men clepyn marye ful of myth
Redemptoris mater.
[T]o here cam gabryel wyth lyth
and seyd, ‘heyl be þu, blysful wyth!
To ben clepyd now art þu dyth
Redemptoris mater.’
and seyd, ‘heyl be þu, blysful wyth!
To ben clepyd now art þu dyth
Redemptoris mater.’
109
At þat wurd þat lady bryth
Anon conseyuyd god ful of myth
Than men wyst weel that sche hyth
Redemptoris mater.
Anon conseyuyd god ful of myth
Than men wyst weel that sche hyth
Redemptoris mater.
[Q]wan ihesu on þe rode was pyth
Mary was doolful of that syth
Til sche sey hym ryse vp rith
Redemptoris mater.
Mary was doolful of that syth
Til sche sey hym ryse vp rith
Redemptoris mater.
Ihesu that syttyst in heuene lyth
Graunt vs to comyn beforn thi sith
wyth that berde that is so brith
Redemptoris mater.
Graunt vs to comyn beforn thi sith
wyth that berde that is so brith
Redemptoris mater.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |