N THE 12th VERSE of the STABAT MATER, we discover an internal rhyme in addition to the primary rhyme: “Tui nati vulneráti, | Tam dignati pro me pati, | Poenas mecum dívide.” Do you see how that’s an internal rhyme? Truly great poets can’t resist doing the same thing when translating the STABAT MATER into English. Look what the brilliant Monsignor Ronald Knox does for that verse: “Love exceeding hangs there bleeding, | My cause pleading, my love needing— | Bid him share his cross with me.” Denis Florence MacCarthy does likewise for that verse: “Ever leading where thy bleeding | Son is pleading for my needing, | Let me in His wounds take part.” Monsignor Hugh Henry is no slouch, either: “Who, from bending Heav’n descending, | Came amending earth’s offending— | All His pains with me divide.”
A Powerful Chart • Creating the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal meant assembling hundreds of comparison charts, helping us choose the finest texts. The committee gave permission for me to post a sample, but only on condition that all original translations were omitted. Therefore, this comparison chart only contains about half.
Contemporary Harmonies • Gustaaf Nees composed an organ accompaniment for the STABAT MATER. I took his harmonies and created an SATB choral score. If you doubt this is a contemporary setting, click on the video (below) and listen to the fourth verse.
Here’s my attempt at singing all voices, including the girls’ parts:
To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.
Real Females • But nothing can replace the utter richness of real women’s voices. The following was recorded ‘live’ by my choir, which consists 100% of volunteers:
If you search the Brébeuf Hymn Portal for “stabat,” you currently get these results.
1. Stabat Mater dolorósa
Juxta Crucem lacrimósa,
Dum pendébat Fílius.2. Cujus ánimam geméntem,
Contristátam et doléntem
Pertransívit gládius.3. O quam tristis et afflícta
Fuit illa benedícta
Mater unigéniti!4. Quae maerébat et dolébat,
Pia Mater, dum vidébat
Nati poenas íncliti.5. Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si vidéret
In tanto supplício?6. Quis non posset contristári,
Christi Matrem contemplári
Doléntem cum Fílio?7. Pro peccátis suae gentis,
Vidit Jesum in torméntis,
Et flagéllis súbditum.8. Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriéndo desolátum,
Dum emísit spíritum.9. Eja Mater, fons amóris
Me sentíre vim dolóris
Fac, ut tecum lúgeam.10. Fac ut árdeat cor meum
In amándo Christum Deum,
Ut sibi compláceam.11. Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifíxi fige plagas
Cordi meo válide.12. Tui nati vulneráti,
Tam dignáti pro me pati,
Poenas mecum dívide.13. Fac me tecum pie flere,
Crucifíxo condolére,
Donec ego víxero.14. Juxta Crucem tecum stare,
Et me tibi sociáre
In planctu desídero.15. Virgo vírginum praeclára,
Mihi jam non sis amára:
Fac me tecum plángere.16. Fac ut portem Christi mortem
Passiónis fac consórtem,
Et plagas recólere.17. Fac me plagis vulnerári,
Fac me cruce inebriári,
Et cruóre Fílii.18. Flammis ne urar succénsus,
Per te, Vírgo, sim defénsus
In die judícii.19. Christe, cum sit hinc exíre,
Da per Matrem me veníre
Ad palmam victóriae.20. Quando corpus moriétur,
Fac ut ánimae donétur
Paradísi glória.
