VOCES8 sings 'Ave Maria, Virgo Serena' by Josquin des Prez at the VOCES8 Centre in London. 2021 marks the 500th anniversary of Josquin's death; in his lifetime he was considered the Michaelangelo of music, and this motet is considered to be amongst the first ever published.
TEXT
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, virgo serena.
Ave cujus conceptio,
Solemni plena gaudio,
Coelestia, terrestria,
Nova replete laetitia.
Ave, cujus nativitas,
Nostra fuit solemnitas,
Ut lucifer lux oriens,
Verum solem praveniens.
Ave, pia humilitas,
Sine viro fecunditas,
Cuius annunciatio,
Nostra fuit salvatio.
Ave, vera virginitas,
Immaculata castitas,
Cuius purificatio
Nostra fuit purgatio.
Ave praeclara omnibus,
Angelicis virtutibus,
Cujus fuit assumptio
Nostra glorificatio.
O Mater Dei,
memento Mei.
Amen.
TRANSLATION
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with you, gentil Virgin.
Hail, whose conception,
Full of solemn joy
Fills the heaven, the earth,
with new rejoicing.
Hail, thou whose birth
Was our festival
As our luminous rising light,
Coming before the true sun.
Hail, pious humility,
Fertility without a man,
Whose annunciation,
Was our salvation.
Hail, true virginity,
Unspotted chastity,
Whose purification
Was our cleansing.
Hail, famous with all,
Angelic virtues,
Whose assumption
Was our glorification.
O Mother of God,
Remember me.
Amen.