Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Anon. (“Analecta” version)
English translation by Desmond Fisher

Stabat Mater dolorosa
Iuxta crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius

Cuius animam gementem
Contristatam et dolentem
Pertransivit gladius

O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater unigeniti!

Quae moerebat et dolebat,
Et tremebat cum videbat
Nati poenas incliti

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Christi Matrem si videret
In tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristari,
Piam Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Iesum in tormentis,
Et flagellis subditum.
Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum
Dum emisit spiritum

Eia Mater, fons amoris
Me sentire vim doloris
Fac, ut tecum lugeam

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
In amando Christum Deum
Ut sibi complaceam

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo valide.

Tui nati vulnerati,
Tam dignati pro me pati,
Poenas mecum divide.

Fac me vere tecum flere,
Crucifixo condolere,
Donec ego vixero.

Iuxta crucem tecum stare,
Te libenter sociare
In planctu desidero

Virgo virginum praeclara,
Mihi iam non sis amara
Fac me tecum plangere

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem
Passionis eius sortem,
Et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
Cruce hac inebriari,
Ob amorem Filii

Inflammatus et accensus
Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus
In die iudicii.

Fac me cruce custodiri
Morte Christi praemuniri
Confoveri gratia

Quando corpus morietur,
Fac, ut animae donetur
Paradisi gloria. Amen.



English translation:

Near the cross his anguish sharing
Stood the mother near despairing
While her Son was hanging there

Hers the soul so devastated
Sorrowful and desolated
That the sword to pierce did dare

O how sad and so dejected
Was that mother so respected
Of her sole-begotten one

Holy Mother, tearful, doleful,
Seeing all those wounds so woeful
Of her own illustrious Son

Is there someone so uncaring
As to shun that mother sharing
In that monstrous punishment?

Who would fail to share the sorrow
Son’s and mother’s grief to borrow
In their sad abandonment?

For the sins of his own creatures
Mary saw his anguished features
As the scourges took their toll

She beheld her Son and master
Die in desolate disaster
As he yielded up his soul

Holy Mother, fount of gladness
Make me feel the power of sadness
So that I may grieve with Thee

Make my heart be ever burning
For the love of Christ be yearning
So I may his solace be

Holy Mother, help me duly
in my heart the wounds fix truly
of the One that’s crucified

For my sake your Son in anguish
Deigned upon the cross to languish
All his pains with me divide

Let me join your pious weeping
With the crucified one keeping
Watch as long as I shall live

Near the cross to stand beside you
And to share the grief inside you
That is what I want to give

Virgin of all virgins splendid
With me do not feel offended
Let me weep along with you

Make me bear Christ’s crucifixion
Share with him his dereliction
And myself his wounds renew

Make the scourges lacerate me
Make his cross inebriate me
Your Son’s blood upon me spray

Lest I burn in flames rejected,
Virgin, let me be protected
through you on the Judgement Day

Christ, when hence I’m called to meet Thee
Let Thy Mother come to greet me
With the palm of victory

When my body is arisen
May my soul, all sins forgiven,
Rest in Paradise with Thee.
Amen. Alleluia.

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