Full of Sorrows
Full of sorrows stood the Mother: Stabat Mater Dolorosa. The Stabat Mater has long been a feature of the liturgical observance of today’s feast, Our Lady of Sorrows. It starts with the image we saw above of the sorrowful mother at the foot of the cross. It goes on to implore her to help us join her in her mourning so that, united with her in her grief over the suffering of her son, we might eventually join them both in Heaven.
We don’t know who was the original author of the hymn. Tradition has long named Jacopone di Todi as the author. Pope Innocent III is another candidate. All we can say for certain is that our earliest record of the Stabat Mater comes from the 13th century. In addition to its traditional chant setting, it has appeared in a large number of musical settings. In fact, starting with Josquin des Prez in the 16th century, Wikipedia list sixty-six composers. I posted Pergolesi’s setting this past Lent. By the way, fully eighteen of those have been since 1985.
Rossini
Among those sixty-six composers is Gioachino Rossini. He is most famous for his operas. Opera companies still perform many of them, including The Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola.
The overture from his opera William Tell is also quite well-known today. The overture’s finale with its vigorous trumpet part has enjoyed fame as the theme music for the American radio and television series The Lone Ranger and also the British television series The Adventures of William Tell.
William Tell, which appeared in 1829, was Rossini’s thirty-ninth opera in less than twenty years. It was also his last. The composer lived another four decades, but never composed another opera. He did occasionally publish other compositions, but they were few and far between. There have been numerous theories for Rossini’s abrupt step back at the height of his fame. Most scholars today believe it as simply a result of poor physical and mental health.
Rossini’s Stabat Mater
Among his compositions from this later phase are some moving sacred compositions. His Petite Messe Solennelle (Little Solemn Mass), his last great work, is one of these. Another is his contribution to the sixty-six (and counting) settings for the Stabat Mater. Rossini composed his dramatic setting for the hymn in several stages between 1831 and 1841. You can read the full story of its composition here. Suffice to say it was an involved process.
In any case, I’ve included two clips below from the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. The first is the opening:
Stabat mater dolorósa
juxta Crucem lacrimósa,
dum pendébat Fílius.
The Mother full of sorrows stood
next to the cross, filled with tears,
while her son was hanging there.
The second clip in the final part of the hymn:
Quando corpus moriétur,
fac, ut ánimæ donétur
paradísi glória.
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.
When my body dies,
make it so that to my soul is given
the glory of Paradise.
Forever and ever. Amen.
I’ve posted below the full Latin texts and two English versions (from https://www.chantcd.com/lyrics/stabat_mater_dolorosa.htm) of this moving hymn abpout the Mother Full of Sorrows. The first English version is a free rendering that maintains the meter of the original but goes more more the spirit than the letter of the original text. The second provides a more literal translation of the Latin.
Feature image top of page: The Crucifixion by Giotto, c. 1310.
Rossini’s Stabat Mater Part 1:
Rossini’s Stabat Mater Part 9:
Latin
1. Stabat Mater dolorosa
Iuxta crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius
2. Cuius animam gementem
Contristatam et dolentem
Pertransivit gladius
3. O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater unigeniti!
4. Quae moerebat et dolebat,
Pia Mater, dum videbat
Nati poenas incliti
5. Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si videret
In tanto supplicio?
6. Quis non posset contristari,
Christi Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio?
7. Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Iesum in tormentis,
Et flagellis subditum.
8. Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum
Dum emisit spiritum
9. Eia Mater, fons amoris
Me sentire vim doloris
Fac, ut tecum lugeam
10. Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
In amando Christum Deum
Ut sibi complaceam
11. Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo valide.
12. Tui nati vulnerati,
Tam dignati pro me pati,
Poenas mecum divide.
13. Fac me tecum, pie, flere,
Crucifixo condolere,
Donec ego vixero.
14. Iuxta crucem tecum stare,
Et me tibi sociare
In planctu desidero
15. Virgo virginum praeclara,
Mihi iam non sis amara
Fac me tecum plangere
16. Fac, ut portem Christi mortem
Passionis fac consortem,
Et plagas recolere.
17. Fac me plagis vulnerari,
Fac me cruce inebriari,
Et cruore Filii
18. Flammis ne urar succensus
Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus
In die iudicii
19. Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
Da per Matrem me venire
Ad palmam victoriae
20. Quando corpus morietur,
Fac, ut animae donetur
Paradisi gloria. Amen
Metrical English
1. At the cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last
2. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
all his bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword had passed.
3. Oh how sad and sore distressed
was that mother highly blessed,
of the sole-begotten One!
4. Christ above in torment hangs;
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.
5. Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
6. Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother’s pain untold?
7. For the sins of His own nation
saw Him hang in desolation,
all with bloody scourges rent.
8. Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender child,
till His Spirit forth he sent.
9. O, thou Mother, fount of love,
touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord.
10. Make me feel as thou has felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ our Lord.
11. Holy Mother, pierce me through;
in my heart each wound renew
of my Saviour crucified.
12. Let met share with thee his pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
13. Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him Who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live.
14. By the cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
this I ask of thee to give.
15. Virgin, of all virgins blest,
O refuse not my request:
let me in thy weeping share
16. Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
17. Wounded with his every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned
in His very blood away.
18. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in that awful judgment day.
19. Christ, when thou shalt call me hence,
be Thy mother my defense,
be Thy cross my victory.
20. While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen.
Literal English
1. The grieving Mother stood weeping
beside the cross where her Son was hanging
2. Through her weeping soul,
compassionate and grieving, a sword passed.
3. O how sad and afflicted
was that blessed Mother of the Only-begotten!
4. Who mourned and grieved, the pious Mother,
looking at the torment of her glorious Child
5. Who is the person who would not weep
seeing the Mother of Christ in such agony?
6. Who would not be able to feel compassion
on beholding Christ’s Mother suffering with her Son?
7. For the sins of his people
she saw Jesus in torment and subjected to the scourge.
8. She saw her sweet offspring dying,
forsaken, while He gave up his spirit
9. O Mother, fountain of love, make me feel
the power of sorrow, that I may grieve with you
10. Grant that my heart may burn in the love
of Christ my Lord, that I may greatly please Him
11. Holy Mother, grant that the wounds
of the Crucified drive deep into my heart.
12. That of your wounded Son, who so deigned
to suffer for me, I may share the pain
13. Let me sincerely weep with you,
bemoan the Crucified, for as long as I live
14. To stand beside the cross with you,
and to join you in your weeping, this I desire
15. Chosen Virgin of virgins,
be not bitter with me, let me weep with thee
16. Grant that I may bear the death of Christ,
share his Passion, and commemorate His wounds
17. Let me be wounded with his wounds,
let me be inebriated by the cross and your Son’s blood
18. Lest I be set afire by flames of death, Virgin,
may I be defended by you, on the day of judgement
19. Christ, when it is time to pass away, grant that
through your Mother I may come to the palm of victory
20. When my body dies, grant that to my soul
is given the glory of paradise. Amen
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