1st December, 2022
Angelus ad Virginem
In fact this medley is a combination of three early carols of which Angelus ad Virginem is the first. Although this first carol is in Latin and is also known in Middle English versions and was cited in no less English a book than Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in around 1390, it probably came to the British Isles from France during the 13th century.
It is believed to be Franciscan in origin and was also found in a book of tropes from Dublin written in 1360 amongst other manuscript sources.
The text of Angelus ad Virginem combines the story of the Annunciation and also some of the words of Hail Mary.
1.
Angelus ad virginem,
Subintrans in conclave,
Virginis formidinem
Demulcens, inquit “Ave!
Ave, regina virginum:
Coeli terraeque dominum
Concipies et paries intacta
Salutem hominum;
Tu porta coeli facta,
Medela criminum.”
2.
“Quomodo conciperem,
Quae virum non cognovi?
Qualiter infringerem,
Quae firma mente vovi?”
“Spiritus sancti gratia
Perficiet haec omnia.
Ne timeas, sed gaudeas
Secura, quod castimonia
Manebit in te pura
Dei potentia.”
3.
Ad haec, virgo nobilis
Respondens inquit ei,
“Ancilla sum humilis
Omnipotentis Dei.
Tibi coelesti nuntio,
Tanti secreti conscio,
Consentiens et cupiens videre
Factum quod audio,
Parata sum parere
Dei consilio.”
4.
Angelus disparuit
Et statim puellaris
Uterus intumuit
Vi partus salutaris.
Qui, circumdatus utero
Novem mensium numero,
Hinc exiit et iniit conflictum,
Affigens humero
Crucem, qua dedit ictum
Hosti mortifero.
5.
Eia Mater Domini,
Quae pacem reddidisti
Angelis et homini
Cum Christum genuisti!
Tuum exora filium
Ut se nobis propitium
Exhibeat, et deleat peccata,
Praestans auxilium
Vita frui beata
Post hoc exsilium.
1.
The angel came to the Virgin,
entering secretly into her room;
calming the Virgin’s fear, he said, “Hail!
Hail, queen of virgins:
you will conceive the Lord of heaven and earth
and bear him, still a virgin,
to be the salvation of mankind;
you will be made the gate of heaven,
the cure of sins.”
2.
“How can I conceive,
When I have never known a man?
How can I transgress
resolutions that I have vowed with a firm mind?”
“The grace of the Holy Spirit
shall do all this.
Do not be afraid, but rejoice
without a care, since your chastity
will remain in you unspoilt
through the power of God.”
3.
To this, the noble Virgin,
replying, said to him,
“I am the humble maidservant
of almighty God.
To you, heavenly messenger,
and bearer of such a great secret,
I give my consent, and wishing to see
done what I hear,
I am ready to obey
the will of God.”
4.
The angel vanished,
and at once the girl’s
womb swelled
with the force of the pregnancy of salvation.
He, protected by the womb
for nine months in number,
left it and began the struggle,
fixing to his shoulder
a cross, with which he dealt the blow
to the deadly Enemy.
5.
Hail, Mother of our Lord,
who brought peace back
to angels and men
when you bore Christ!
Pray your son
that he may show favour to us
and blot out our sins,
giving us help
to enjoy a blessed life
after this exile.
This carol is followed by a French pilgrims’ song dating from some time between the 12th and 17th centuries called Nous sommes Trois Souverains Princes. The pilgrims in this case were pilgrims of St Jacques who were going to Compostella. The rhythms of these two carols appear to be complementary.
Nous sommes trois souverains princes
De l’Orient
Qui voyageons de nos provinces
En Occident
Pour honorer le Roi des rois
Dans sa naissance
Et recevoir les douces lois
Que donne son enfance
Le firmament fait sous le voile
De cette nuit
Scintiller une belle étoile
Qui nous conduit
Nous nous guidons par les beaux feux
Qu’elle fait naître
Nous allons accomplir nos voeux
Et l’auteur de la vie
Nous avons dans des cassolettes
Quelques prйsents
D’aromates les plus parfaites
D’or et d’encens
Agréez, Seigneur, ce trésor
Et nos hommages
En recevant la myrrhe et l’or
Bénissez les trois mages !
We are three sovereign princes
From the East
Who travel from our provinces
To the West
To honor the King of kings
In his birth
And receive the sweet laws
That his childhood gives
The firmament under the veil
From this night
Sparkle a beautiful star
Who leads us
We are guided by the beautiful fires
That she gives birth to
We will fulfil our vows
To adore our master
We want to pay our homage
To his goodness
And to greet in pious magi
His Majesty
We bring to the God of peace
Our diadems
And we offer of our subjects
The hearts and the very goods
Ah! Give us a little space
Our dear friends
Introduce us to the King, please
If it is permitted
We arrive with a happy heart
From Arabia
To see the Son of the Almighty
After this carol comes Lou Queitivié originating from Provence in the 17th century.
Here, the text and melody are both by Nicolas Saboly, published in 1670, but the similarity to the well known melody La Folia did not escape me and I have tried to bring this out in this arrangement with its chordal texture.
The carol formed part of a cycle called Histori de la birthenso dou Fis de Diou
Lou queitivié d’aquéu marrit estable
A sant Jòusèfè sòuleva lou cor :
Ero tan sale e tan abouminable
Que lou paure ome pensè toumba mort !
Lou desplesi, lou tracas, la tristesso,
La pudentour, la nue, lou mauvai tèm,
La fam, la set, lou frech e sa feblesso
Fuguèron causo d’aquel aucidènt.
La tressusour mountè sus soun visage
E chasque péu li fasié soun degout.
Sènso la Vierge, aurié perdu courage,
Que l’eissuguèt emé soun moucadou
E li diguè : « Iéu qu’ai lou cor pu tèndre,
Résiste à tout e noun me fau de rèn ;
Que vous fugués lou premié de vous rèndre,
Certo, Jòusè, que n’en diran lei gènt ? »
Tout aussitost Jòusè prenguèt aleno,
Se remetèt e parlé quantecant.
Un pau après, sèns doulour e sèns peno,
Elo acouchè d’un fort poulitenfant.
The filth of this bad stable
In St Jacques made the heart jump:
It was so dirty and so abominable
That it made a poor man think he had died.
The displeasure, the worry, the sadness,
The stench, the night, the bad weather,
The hunger, the thirst, the cold and its weakness
Were the cause of such an accident.
The sweat rose on his face
And every step provoked disgust
Without the Virgin, he would have lost heart,
(She ) who was wiping it with her handkerchief
And said to him: ‘I who have a more tender heart
(Who) resists everything and to whom nothing is needed;
Whether you are the first to surrender
Certainly, Joseph, what will people say?’
Immediately Joseph took breath
Recovered and spoke so and so.
A little later without grief and without pain
She gave birth to a very beautiful child.
After Lou Queitivié, Angelus ad Virginem is heard again.