O Sanctissma, in English

Rebecca Bridget C-

Dear Friends,

Do you know of any singable English translations of O Sanctissima? I received the below email from a friend, who is working on a very interesting project for the Orthodox. The translation in the PBC is, I believe, slightly too unwieldy for his purposes, and the only singable English translation I know (Melvin Farrell) is very free with the text. I've suggested he retain the Latin, but would love to be able to get him something in English. Any ideas, before I have a go at translating it myself?

I am preparing a book of 200 melodic exercises in Byzantine notation, with explanations in English (based on a similar book in Greek by Ioannis Margaziotis). In the chapter on rhythm, one of the exercises is the Sicilian hymn O Sanctissima. It is an ideal exercise for a Byzantine notation textbook since it has many instances of compound rhythm but not many interval jumps. I would like to keep this exercise in my book, but I need help developing a translation. Wikipedia listed several, but one [does not scan] and the other two were quite different from the original. Perhaps you could help.

Thank you,

Yours,
Rebecca

Adam Wood

1. O sanctíssima, O piíssima,
Dulcis Virgo María!
Mater amáta, intemeráta,
Ora, ora pro nobis!

O most holy one, O most pious one
O sweetest Virgin, Maria
Mother beloved, Undefiled mother,
Pray for us, pray for us, pray for us.

2. Tu, solátium et refúgium,
Virgo Mater María!
Quidquid optámus, per te sperámus;
Ora, ora pro nobis!

Thou our consolation, thou our refuge
O, Virgin Mother, Maria
All that we long for, our hope is through you
Pray for us, etc.

3. Tota pulchra es, O María, et
Mácula non est in te;
Mater amáta, intemeráta,
Ora, ora pro nobis.

O, all beauteous one, O all lovely one
No stain is in thee, Maria.
Mother beloved, etc.

4. In miséria, in angústia,
Ora, Virgo, pro nobis;
Pro nobis ora in mortis hora
Ora, ora pro nobis

In our misery along the narrow path
Pray for us, Virgin Maria
Pray for us now and at the hour of our death
Pray for us, etc...

5. Ecce débiles, perquam flébiles,
Salva nos, O María!
Tolle languóres, sana dolóres,
Ora, ora pro nobis!

Lo, our weakness! Lost in tears are we,
Save us, restore us, Maria!
Lift our langushing, cleanse our sorrowing
Pray for us, etc.

5.5 Sicut lilium inter spinas
Sic Maria inter filias
Mater amata intemerata
Ora ora pro nobis

Just as lillies grow, there among the thorns
So art thou, fairest of daughters.
Mother beloved, etc.

6. Virgo, réspice, Mater, áspice,
Audi nos, O María!
Tu, medicínam, portas divínam,
Ora, ora pro nobis!

Virgin, turn towards us; Mother regard us
Listen to us, O Maria.
You our health and healing, You the gate of heaven
Pray for us, etc.

Adam Wood

This is my own translation.

There some internal rhymes in the original that are not preserved, but they didn't seem consistent throughout.
Also I was a tad bit free with where melismas land.

The Latin is as found in the PBC
Vs 5.5 was not in the PBC, but was on wikipedia.

It's got some other issues, I'm sure (I did it in only a few minutes) but I think it's a good start at a slightly more accurate and singable translation than is currently available (for free online).

((Also- It's been a while since Latin class...)

Maureen

Here's my version.

O, o holiest; O, o kindliest;
O sweet Virgin, Maria!
O beloved mother, unpolluted soul of hers,
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

You, safe haven a-and consolation stand,
Virgin Mother, Maria!
Whatever we long to be, Through you, we have hope to see.
O-o pra-ay, o-o pray, o pray for us.

All lovely are you, O Maria, you
Have not one spot within you.
O beloved mother, unpolluted soul of hers,
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

O in misery And difficulty,
O pray, Virgin, pray for us.
Pray for us in our, in our death's hour.
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

See us - weakly, And most weepy.
Save us, save us, Maria!
Take the feebleness away, Heal the pain we feel, and pray:
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

Like a lily grown Among thorns is shown
'Mong men's daughters, Maria!
O beloved mother, Unpolluted soul of hers,
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

Virgin, your eyes raise! Mother, turn and gaze!
Hear, o hear us, Maria!
For you are our medicine And God's gate of heaven.
O pray, o pray, o pray for us.

Rebecca Bridget C-

Thanks Adam and Maureen! How kind of you both to work it through yourselves!
Here are some other ideas that he is batting around with, for comparison:

O thou holiest, O thou lovingest,
O thou sweet Virgin Mary,
Mother most beloved, {all-pure, most spotless, undefiled, unstain-ed} Mother,
Pray for us, pray for us, O Mary.

Thou our comforter, thou our shelter,
Virgin Mother, O Mary,
Through thee we hope for all that we long for.
Pray for us, pray for us, O Mary.

O, thou beauteous, O thou loveliest, (Oh Adam, I like yours better here)
Stainless, {immaculate, glorious} Mary,
Mother most beloved, all-pure Mother, (variations as above)
Pray for us, pray for us, O Mary.

In our misery, in our agony,
Pray, oh pray for us, Mary.
Pray, O portal of life immortal.
Pray for us, pray for us, O Mary.

Lady, we are weak with exceeding grief.
Save us, save us, O Mary.
From faintness free us, of pain relieve us (Maureen, I love your above translation of this line)
Pray for us, pray for us O Mary.

Virgin, turn thy face, Mother, to thy race, (Maureen, again, I love your above solution here)
Hear us, hear us, O Mary,
Bear, Mother, bring near, supernal healing.
Pray for us, pray for us, O Mary.

Adam Wood

I love that Maureen kept more internal rhyming
(And good job on "Mother" rhymes with "of hers.")

I'm so thrilled I got even one mention of "I like yours better."
I was a bit afraid to even do this, as neither my Latin nor my Hymn-writing are up to the level of several other posters. But it was too much fun not to.

I bet you could compile the best ideas into a decently singable version.

Rebecca Bridget C-

Indeed Adam, I took the coward's way out and asked you folks instead of trying myself :-) There are a lot of variables to juggle; it's such a nuanced task!

What would you think of rhyming V1 line 3 "O beloved Mother" with "Pure above all others"?

Adam Wood

i like that.

Maureen

My pen has a fatal attraction to doggerel, when it comes to hymns... but I also figure that, if I practice long enough, I may get decent at this sort of thing.

"Pure above all others" is good.

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