My favourite medieval poem for Christmas is this Hymn to the Virgin. The trick of inserting rhyming Latin into rhyming English, whilst making the meaning quite clear, really appeals to me.
This is from about 1300.
Of on that is so fair and bright
Velut maris stella
Brighter than the day is light
Parens et puella
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia,
That ic mote come to thee,
Maria.
Al this world was for-lore,
Eva peccatrice
Tyl our Lord was y-bore
De te genetrice
With ave it went away
Thuster nyth and comes the day
Salutis
The well springeth ut of the
Virtutis
Levedy, flour of alle thing
Rosa sine spina
Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
Gratia divina
Of alle thu ber'st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys
Electa
Mayde milde, moder es
Effecta.
What do you mean, it is not obvious? OK, here are some clues:
on - one; levedy - lady; thuster - dark; pris - prize.
Velut maris stella - like the star of the sea
Parens et puella - mother and maiden
Eva peccatrice - by Eve's sin
Ask in the comms box if anything else needs elucidating (and correct all my errors…)
This has been set to music often, with varying success… A quick visit to Youtube will give several examples.
ROME 24/4– Day 37 (-4): MORE sacristy secrets, MORE music from nuns, and
MORE Fr. Z’s Kitchen
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On this Feast of St. Cletus, Pope and Martyr, the sun rose over Rome at
06:11. Sunset is to be at 20:06. The Ave Maria Bell should ring at 20:15.
This is t...
7 hours ago
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