I. Ttxt. — The hymn itself runs thus:
Siahat milter speciosa Juxia fupiium gaudiora,
Diiin jacebat parviihis; Ciijus animnm gnudentem L:ictabuiidam ac feiveulem
Penraiisivit jubilus.
O quani iaeta et beata Fuit ilia immaciilata
Mater Unigeniti ! Qniv gaiidebat el ridebat, Exiiliabat, cum videbat
Nati parium iuclyti.
Quis jam est qui non gauderet C'liribti matrem si videret
In tanto solalio* Qnis nun posset collsetari, C'liristi matrem contemplari
Ludeuiem cum Filio?
Pro peccatis sn;e geiitis C'hl•i^tum vidit cum jumeutis
El algori sul)dituni : Vidit suuni diilcem Natum Vairieruem, adoratum,
Vili diversorio.
Nato Christo iu pr.-esepe Coeli cives cannui l«te
Cum immenso gaudio ; Siabat senex cum puella Kon cum verbo iiec loquela
Stupesceutes cordibus.
Eja mater, fous amoris, ile senlire vim ardoris,
Fac ut tecum sentiam ! Fac ut ardeat cor meum Li amatum Christum Deum,
Ut sibi complaceam.
Sancta mater, istud agas, Prone iuu'oducas plagas
C'oidi flxas vallde. Tui Nali ccjeIo lapsi, Jam diguall fccuo nasci
I'cDuas mecum divide.
Fac me vere congaudere, Jesu lino cohaerere
Donee ego vixero. In me sistat ard<u- tui; Puerino fac me frui
Dum sum iu exilio. Huuc ardoiem fac commuuera, Ke me faciaf imuiiiMem
Ab hoc desiderio.
Virt:o virginnm piieclara, Alibi jam mui ^iJ^ amara;
Fac nie parvum rapere ; Fac ul puli'hrum fantem portein, (^ui iiascendo vicit mortem,
Voleus viiam tradere.
Fac me tecum natiari, Kalo me inebriari,
Stalls iiiier tripudlo. Iiillauimaliis et accensus OI>Hlupe^cil <>ninii4 heu»u8
Tali de commercio.
Oinjies Htalxiliim amautes, Kl pHstoren vigilantes
PiTiioclanlcn sociaut. Per virtutem Nati tui Ora ut elertl buI
Ad patriam veninnt.
Fac me Nato cuHtodlri, Verbo Dei piii'muniri,
Coiifeivari gratia; C^miiido corpuH morletur, Jac ut aiiiniiL' donetur
Tui Nati vibio.
II. .1 iilliorthtp.—iU to the source of this hymn, both Ozaiiain and L)r. Ncalc ascribe it to Jacoponc da Todi,
the author of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa; while Drs. Schatt' and Cides regard the Mater Speciosa as the work of some admiring imitator. Against the latter opinion it maj- be observed that the second edition of the Italian poems of Jacoponc (Lainle di Fra Jacopone da Todi), which appeared at Ikeseia in 1-19.5, contains an appendix of several Latin poems, among which is one I)e Con- temptii Miindi, the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, and, accord- ing to Brunei, also the titabat Mater Speciosa. On this ground, as well as on account of the general agreement of the hymn with what we know of Jacopone and with the spirit of the early Franciscan poetry, Luke Wadding ascribed the Stabat Mater Dolorosa to Jacopone, who has ever since been commonly regarded as the author.
In the absence of authentic or contemporary evi- dence, this opinion is no more than a probalde conject- ure; but it is preferable to other conjectures. From the want of tinish and the number of imperfect rhymes, Dr. Neale infers that the Mater Speciosa was composed first; but Dr. SchalT, and with him Dr. Coles, takes an opposite opinion. Says Dr. SchafiF : " The Mater Do- lorosa was evidently suggested by the Scripture scene as briefly stated by St. John in the first words of the poem (in the Vulgate version); and this, again, sug- gested the cradle-hjmn as a counterpart. It is a par- allelism of contrast which runs from beginning to end. The Mater Speciosa is a Christmas hymn, and sings the overflowing joy of IMary at the cradle of the new- born Saviour. The Mater Dolorosa is a (iood-Friday hj-mn, and sings the piercing agony of IMary at the cross of her divine -human Son. They breathe the same love to Christ, and the burning desire to become identified with Mary by sympathy in the intensity of her joy as in the intensity of her grief. They are the same in structure, and excel alike in the singularly touching music of language and the soft cadence that echoes the sentiment. Both consist of two parts, the first of which describes the objective situation; the sec- ond identifies the author with the situation, and ad- dresses the Virgin as an object of worship. Both bear the impress of their age and of the monastic order which probablj' gave them birth. They are Koman Catholic in that they fix the pious contemplation upon the mother first, and only through her upon the Son ; while the Protestant looks first upon the Sf)n, and worships him only. For this feature of Mariolatrj' they are, as a whole, unsuitable for an evangelical hymn-book, unless the}' be so changed as to place Christ in the foreground, and to address the prayer to liim."
III. T7-aiislatio}is.—'SVe subjoin to this text of Dr. Neale his English translation :
" Full of beauty stood the mother By the manger, blest o'er other,
Wliere her little one she lays: For her inmost soul's elaticm, In its fervid juldbitioii,
Thrills with ecstasy of praise.
" Oh ! what glad, what rapturous feeling Filled thai blessed motber, kneeling
I5y the S(de-begotteii One! How, her heart w'iih laui:hter bounding, Slie beheld the work astounding. Saw his birth, the glorious Son !
" Who is he that sight who beareth Nor Christ's mother's solace shaieih
III her bosom as he lay? ^^'ho is he that would not render Tend'rest love for love so tender —
Love, with that dear Babe at play?
" For the trespass of her nation She wiih oxen saw his sialion
Subjected to cold and woe; Saw her sweetest oflVpring's wailing, Wise men hiui with worship hailing,