Stabat Mater

English Lyrics-Prose Text

Latin Lyrics-Prose Text

English Lyrics-Latin Lyrics

Stabat Mater MIDI

Stabat Mater
( At the Cross her Station Keeping )

A touching hymn of 10 stanzas, each with 6 lines.
They celebrate the emotions of Our Lady at the Cross.
Already well known by the end of 14th century.

The secret of the power of this hymn lies in the intensity of feeling with which the poet identifies himself with his theme, and in the soft, plaintive melody of its Latin rhythm and rhyme, which cannot be transferred to any other language.
Because of its vividly epic and lyric character, the hymn has received multiform musical setting. There are four well-known plainsong settings, the authentic form being found in the
Vatican Gradual (1908).
There are over sixty translations into English (in whole or in part), Caswall's being the most extensively used in hymnals.

	English Lyrics of Hymn	Prose text
01 02	At the cross her station keeping Stood the mournful mother weeping Close to Jesus to the last Through her heart, his sorrow sharing All his bitter anguish bearing Now at length the sword has passed	The sorrowful mother was standing in tears beside the cross on which her Son was hanging. Her soul was full of grief and anguish and sorrow, for the sword of prophecy pierced it.
03 04	Oh how sad and sore distressed Was that mother highly blest Of the sole begotten One Christ above in torment hangs She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying glorious Son	How sad now and how unhappy at the fate of her only Son was that mother, once called blessed; how the faithful mother grieved and lamented as she saw her glorious son so shamefully treated.
05 06	Is there one who would not weep Whelmed in miseries so deep Christ's dear mother to behold Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain In that mother's pain untold	Who is there who would not weep, were he to see Christ's mother in such great suffering? Or who could help feeling sympathy with the mother, were he to think of her sorrowing with her Son?
07 08	Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled She beheld her tender child All with bloody scourges rent For the sins of his own nation Saw him hang in desolation Till his spirit forth he sent	Yet she actually saw Jesus in agony and broken by the scourging and this because of the sins of her own people. She saw her dear Son all the time he was dying and abandoned until he yielded up his soul.
09 10	O thou mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above Make my heart with thine accord Make me feel as thou hast felt Make my soul to grow and melt With the love of Christ our Lord	Come then, mother from whom all love springs, make me understand the meaning of your sorrow that I may mourn with you. Make my heart burn with love of Christ, my God, that he may look on me with favor.
11 12	Holy mother! pierce me through In my hear each wound renew Of my Saviour crucified Let me share with thee his pain Who for all my sins was slain Who for me in torments died	Holy mother, do this for me. Pierce my heart once and forever with the wounds of your crucified Son. Let me share with you the pain of your Son's wounds, for he thought it right to bear such suffering for me.
13 14	Let me mingle tears with thee Mourning him who mourned for me All the days that I may live By the cross with thee to stay There with thee to weep and pray Is all I ask of thee to give	Grant that my tears of love may mingle with yours and that, as long as I live, I may feel the pains of my crucified Lord. To stand with you beside the cross and be your companion in grief is my own wish.
15 16	Virgin of all virgins blest Listen to my fond request Let me share thy grief divine Let me to my latest breath In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine	Virgin without equal among virgins, do not now turn down my request; grant that I may mourn with you. Grant that I carry about the dying state of Christ; grant that I be a sharer of his passion; grant that I relive his wounds.
17 18	Wounded with his every wound Steep my soul till it hath swooned In his very blood away Be to me, O Virgin nigh Lest in flames I burn and die In his awful judgement day	Grant that I be wounded with his wounds; grant that I drink to my soul's content of the chalice of his cross and blood. Be a defense to me, virgin Mary, on the judgment day, and I will not burn and be consumed in the fires of hell.
19 20	Christ, when thou shall call me hence Be thy mother my defence Be thy cross my victory While my body here decays May my soul thy goodness praise Safe in paradise with thee. Amen Alleluia	When it is time, Lord Christ, for me to leave this world, give me through your mother's, prayers the palm of victory. When my body is dead, grant that my soul be given the glory of paradise. Amen. (Alleluia.)

	Latin Lyrics of Hymn	Prose text
01 02	Stabat Mater dolorosa Juxta crucem lacrymosa Dum pendebat Filius Cujus animam gementem Constristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius	The sorrowful mother was standing in tears beside the cross on which her Son was hanging. Her soul was full of grief and anguish and sorrow, for the sword of prophecy pierced it.
03 04	O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti Quae moerebat et dolebat Pia Mater, dum videbat Nati poenas inclyti	How sad now and how unhappy at the fate of her only Son was that mother, once called blessed; how the faithful mother grieved and lamented as she saw her glorious son so shamefully treated.
05 06	Quis est homo qui non fleret Matrem Christi si videret In tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari Christi Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio?	Who is there who would not weep, were he to see Christ's mother in such great suffering? Or who could help feeling sympathy with the mother, were he to think of her sorrowing with her Son?
07 08	Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Jesum in tormentis Et flagellis subditum Vidit suum dulcem Natum Moriendo desolatum Dum emisit spiritum	Yet she actually saw Jesus in agony and broken by the scourging and this because of the sins of her own people. She saw her dear Son all the time he was dying and abandoned until he yielded up his soul.
09 10	Eia, Mater, fons amoris Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam Fac, ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum Ut sibi complaceam	Come then, mother from whom all love springs, make me understand the meaning of your sorrow that I may mourn with you. Make my heart burn with love of Christ, my God, that he may look on me with favor.
11 12	Sancta Mater, istud agas Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide Tui Nati vulnerati Tam dignati pro me pati Poenas mecum divide	Holy mother, do this for me. Pierce my heart once and forever with the wounds of your crucified Son. Let me share with you the pain of your Son's wounds, for he thought it right to bear such suffering for me.
13 14	Fac me tecum pie flere Crucifixo condolere Donec ego vixero Juxta Crucem tecum stare Et me tibi sociare In planctu desidero	Grant that my tears of love may mingle with yours and that, as long as I live, I may feel the pains of my crucified Lord. To stand with you beside the cross and be your companion in grief is my own wish.
15 16	Virgo virginum praeclara Mihi jam non sis amara Fac me tecum plangere Fac ut portem Christi mortem Passionis fac consortem Et plagas recolere	Virgin without equal among virgins, do not now turn down my request; grant that I may mourn with you. Grant that I carry about the dying state of Christ; grant that I be a sharer of his passion; grant that I relive his wounds.
17 18	Fac me plagis vulnerari Fac me Cruce inebriari Et cruore Filii Flammis ne urar succensus Per te, Virgo sim defensus In die judicii	Grant that I be wounded with his wounds; grant that I drink to my soul's content of the chalice of his cross and blood. Be a defense to me, virgin Mary, on the judgment day, and I will not burn and be consumed in the fires of hell.
19 20	Christe, cum sit hinc exire Da per Matrem me venire Ad palmam victoriae Quando corpus morietur Fac ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen.	When it is time, Lord Christ, for me to leave this world, give me through your mother's, prayers the palm of victory. When my body is dead, grant that my soul be given the glory of paradise. Amen. (Alleluia.)

	English Lyrics of Hymn	Latin Lyrics of Hymn
01 02	At the cross her station keeping Stood the mournful mother weeping Close to Jesus to the last Through her heart, his sorrow sharing All his bitter anguish bearing Now at length the sword has passed	Stabat Mater dolorosa Juxta crucem lacrymosa Dum pendebat Filius Cujus animam gementem Constristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius
03 04	Oh how sad and sore distressed Was that mother highly blest Of the sole begotten One Christ above in torment hangs She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying glorious Son	O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti Quae moerebat et dolebat Pia Mater, dum videbat Nati poenas inclyti
05 06	Is there one who would not weep Whelmed in miseries so deep Christ's dear mother to behold Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain In that mother's pain untold?	Quis est homo qui non fleret Matrem Christi si videret In tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari Christi Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio?
07 08	Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled She beheld her tender child All with bloody scourges rent Saw him hang in desolation For the sins of his own nation Till his spirit forth he sent	Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Jesum in tormentis Et flagellis subditum Vidit suum dulcem Natum Moriendo desolatum Dum emisit spiritum
09 10	O thou mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above Make my heart with thine accord Make me feel as thou hast felt Make my soul to grow and melt With the love of Christ our Lord	Eia, Mater, fons amoris Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam Fac, ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum Ut sibi complaceam
11 12	Holy mother! pierce me through In my hear each wound renew Of my Saviour crucified Let me share with thee his pain Who for all my sins was slain Who for me in torments died	Sancta Mater, istud agas Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide Tui Nati vulnerati Tam dignati pro me pati Poenas mecum divide
13 14	Let me mingle tears with thee Mourning him who mourned for me All the days that I may live By the cross with thee to stay There with thee to weep and pray Is all I ask of thee to give	Fac me tecum pie flere Crucifixo condolere Donec ego vixero Juxta Crucem tecum stare Et me tibi sociare In planctu desidero
15 16	Virgin of all virgins blest Listen to my fond request Let me share thy grief divine Let me to my latest breath In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine	Virgo virginum praeclara Mihi jam non sis amara Fac me tecum plangere Fac ut portem Christi mortem Passionis fac consortem Et plagas recolere
17 18	Wounded with his every wound Steep my soul till it hath swooned In his very blood away Be to me, O Virgin nigh Lest in flames I burn and die In his awful judgement day	Fac me plagis vulnerari Fac me Cruce inebriari Et cruore Filii Flammis ne urar succensus Per te, Virgo sim defensus In die judicii
19 20	Christ, when thou shall call me hence Be thy mother my defence Be thy cross my victory While my body here decays May my soul thy goodness praise Safe in paradise with thee. Amen Alleluia	Christe, cum sit hinc exire Da per Matrem me venire Ad palmam victoriae Quando corpus morietur Fac ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws