"O sanctissima" (O most holy) is a Roman Catholichymn in Latin, seeking the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and often sung in various languages on her feast days. The earliest known publication was from London in 1792, presenting it as a traditional song from Sicily; but no original source or date has been confirmed for the simple melody or the poetic text. The tune is often called "Sicilian Mariners Hymn" or similar titles, referring to the seafarers' nightly invocation of Mary as their maternal protector:[1]Our Lady, Star of the Sea. The tune has been notably reused for the German Christmas carol "O du fröhliche" (O, how joyful) and the English recessional hymn "Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing", and appears to have been adapted as the first half of the American civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome".
Below is a common version of the text; many other versions exist.
O sanctissima, o piissima, dulcis Virgo Maria! Mater amata, intemerata, ora, ora pro nobis.
Tu solatium et refugium, Virgo Mater Maria. Quidquid optamus, per te speramus; ora, ora pro nobis.
Ecce debiles, perquam flebiles; salva nos, o Maria! Tolle languores, sana dolores; ora, ora pro nobis.
Virgo, respice, Mater, aspice; audi nos, o Maria! Tu medicinam portas divinam; ora, ora pro nobis.
O most holy, o most loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Beloved Mother, undefiled, pray, pray for us.
You are solace and refuge, Virgin Mother Mary. Whatever we wish, we hope it through you; pray, pray for us.
Look, we are weak and deeply deplorable; save us, o Mary! Take away our lassitude, heal our pains; pray, pray for us.
Virgin, look at us, Mother, care for us; hear us, o Mary! You bring divine medicine; pray, pray for us.
The first lines of the Latin text are similar to the final line of the 12th-century prayer Salve Regina: "O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria." An 1820 book claims, without verification, that these words were already engraved at Speyer Cathedral at the time of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153).[2] A 1612 book also associates the saint and the cathedral with these words, without claiming they were already engraved there during his lifetime.[3]
Widening circulationedit
Earliest known printing: European Magazine, November 1792
"O sanctissima" was published as "The Prayer of the Sicilian Mariners", with text and music for voice and harp, in Edward Jones's Miscellaneous Collection of French and Italian Ariettas. His undated publication is sometimes estimated as 1785,[4] but his cited position as Bard to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales did not begin until "about 1790".[5] The hymn was published anonymously by European Magazine in 1792[1] and then by an American magazine in 1794.[6] By the early 1800s, "O sanctissima" was spreading widely in multiple languages. J.G. Herder included the song posthumously in his prominent book of traditional folksongs (Stimmen der Völker in Liedern, 1807),[7] while Haydn (Hob. XXIIIc:F2)[8] and Beethoven (WoO 157:4)[9] each wrote choral arrangements of the Latin hymn. A German-language version ("O du fröhliche", c.1816)[10] became a well-known Christmas carol, with original lyrics by J.D. Falk referring not to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but rather to Jesus himself and his day of birth. In English:
O, how joyfully; O, how merrily Christmas comes with its grace divine. Grace again is beaming; Christ the world redeeming. Hail, ye Christians, hail the joyous Christmas time!
Or, in another English-language rendition:
O thou happy, O thou holy, Glorious peace bringing Christmas time. Angel throngs to meet thee; on Thy birth we greet Thee: Hail to Christ, the Son of God, our newborn king!
In the 20th century, a group of textual variants commonly known as "O Thou Joyful" became popular in the United States. Although most of these texts are anonymous, one has been attributed to William Glass.[11]
By 1835, the tune (with its first half repeated) also came to be used for the English recessional hymn "Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing",[12] and by 1945 it appears to have influenced the melody of the American civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome", with a close match between the chantlike first half of both tunes.[13][14][15]
Referencesedit
^ abSeward, William (November 1792). Reed, Isaac (ed.). "Drossiana. Number XXXVIII. The Sicilian Mariner's Hymn to the Virgin". European Magazine and London Review. 22 (5): 342, 385–386. Retrieved 25 October 2016. Travellers all agree in their account of the effects of the simple air called 'The Virgin's Hymn,' sung in unison by the whole crew of the Sicilian seamen on board their ships when the sun sets, or when it is the twenty-fourth hour of Italy. The editor identified the article's author in his obituary: Reed, Isaac, ed. (October 1799). "William Seward, Esq". European Magazine and London Review. 36 (4): 219–220. William Seward... amused himself with collecting the materials for what he called Drossiana in the present Magazine; which he began in October 1789, and continued without intermission to the end of his life.
^Grimm, Ferdinand Philipp "Lothar", ed. (1820). "Das redende Marienbild zu Speier". Volkssagen und Märchen der Deutschen und Ausländer. p. 90. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^Lehmann, Christoph (1698) [1612]. Chronica Der Freyen Reichs-Stadt Speier. pp. 438–440. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^Shaw, Robert, ed. (May 1794). "Prayer of the Sicilian Mariners". The Gentleman's Amusement: 25. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
^Herder, Johann Gottfried (1807). "An die Jungfrau Maria: Ein sizilianisches Schifferlied". Stimmen der Völker in Liedern. pp. 175–176. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
^"Franz Josef Haydn Catalogue: XXIII". Musique et Musiciens. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^"Ludwig van Beethoven Catalogue: WoO". Musique et Musiciens. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^Parent, Ulrich; Rossler, Martin (2002). "O du fröhliche". In Hahn, Gerhard; Henkys, Jürgen (eds.). Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch. Vol. 4. pp. 26–30. ISBN9783525503256. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^Crump, William D., ed. (2013). "O Sanctissima". The Christmas Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 328.
^Mason, Lowell; Mason, Timothy B., eds. (1835). The Sacred Harp or Eclectic Harmony. p. 131. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^Brink, Emily; Polman, Bert, eds. (1988). The Psalter Hymnal Handbook. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
^Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving, eds. (1978). . pp. 806–809. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015.
^Bobetsky, Victor V. (2015). We Shall Overcome: Essays on a Great American Song. pp. 1–4. ISBN9781442236035. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
External linksedit
Media related to O sanctissima at Wikimedia Commons
sanctissima, most, holy, roman, catholic, hymn, latin, seeking, prayers, blessed, virgin, mary, often, sung, various, languages, feast, days, earliest, known, publication, from, london, 1792, presenting, traditional, song, from, sicily, original, source, date,. O sanctissima O most holy is a Roman Catholic hymn in Latin seeking the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and often sung in various languages on her feast days The earliest known publication was from London in 1792 presenting it as a traditional song from Sicily but no original source or date has been confirmed for the simple melody or the poetic text The tune is often called Sicilian Mariners Hymn or similar titles referring to the seafarers nightly invocation of Mary as their maternal protector 1 Our Lady Star of the Sea The tune has been notably reused for the German Christmas carol O du frohliche O how joyful and the English recessional hymn Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing and appears to have been adapted as the first half of the American civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome O sanctissima source source source Problems playing this file See media help Similar Latin lyrics have been set to entirely different tunes since the 1500s by notable composers and arrangers including Leonhard Kleber probably editing another composer Louis Nicolas Clerambault E T A Hoffmann Antonin Dvorak and Fritz Kreisler using a melody of Arcangelo Corelli Contents 1 Latin lyric and English translation 2 Widening circulation 3 References 4 External linksLatin lyric and English translation editBelow is a common version of the text many other versions exist O sanctissima o piissima dulcis Virgo Maria Mater amata intemerata ora ora pro nobis Tu solatium et refugium Virgo Mater Maria Quidquid optamus per te speramus ora ora pro nobis Ecce debiles perquam flebiles salva nos o Maria Tolle languores sana dolores ora ora pro nobis Virgo respice Mater aspice audi nos o Maria Tu medicinam portas divinam ora ora pro nobis O most holy o most loving sweet Virgin Mary Beloved Mother undefiled pray pray for us You are solace and refuge Virgin Mother Mary Whatever we wish we hope it through you pray pray for us Look we are weak and deeply deplorable save us o Mary Take away our lassitude heal our pains pray pray for us Virgin look at us Mother care for us hear us o Mary You bring divine medicine pray pray for us The first lines of the Latin text are similar to the final line of the 12th century prayer Salve Regina O clemens O pia O dulcis Virgo Maria An 1820 book claims without verification that these words were already engraved at Speyer Cathedral at the time of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux 1090 1153 2 A 1612 book also associates the saint and the cathedral with these words without claiming they were already engraved there during his lifetime 3 Widening circulation edit nbsp Earliest known printing European Magazine November 1792 O sanctissima was published as The Prayer of the Sicilian Mariners with text and music for voice and harp in Edward Jones s Miscellaneous Collection of French and Italian Ariettas His undated publication is sometimes estimated as 1785 4 but his cited position as Bard to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales did not begin until about 1790 5 The hymn was published anonymously by European Magazine in 1792 1 and then by an American magazine in 1794 6 By the early 1800s O sanctissima was spreading widely in multiple languages J G Herder included the song posthumously in his prominent book of traditional folksongs Stimmen der Volker in Liedern 1807 7 while Haydn Hob XXIIIc F2 8 and Beethoven WoO 157 4 9 each wrote choral arrangements of the Latin hymn A German language version O du frohliche c 1816 10 became a well known Christmas carol with original lyrics by J D Falk referring not to the Blessed Virgin Mary but rather to Jesus himself and his day of birth In English O how joyfully O how merrily Christmas comes with its grace divine Grace again is beaming Christ the world redeeming Hail ye Christians hail the joyous Christmas time Or in another English language rendition O thou happy O thou holy Glorious peace bringing Christmas time Angel throngs to meet thee on Thy birth we greet Thee Hail to Christ the Son of God our newborn king In the 20th century a group of textual variants commonly known as O Thou Joyful became popular in the United States Although most of these texts are anonymous one has been attributed to William Glass 11 By 1835 the tune with its first half repeated also came to be used for the English recessional hymn Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing 12 and by 1945 it appears to have influenced the melody of the American civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome with a close match between the chantlike first half of both tunes 13 14 15 References edit a b Seward William November 1792 Reed Isaac ed Drossiana Number XXXVIII The Sicilian Mariner s Hymn to the Virgin European Magazine and London Review 22 5 342 385 386 Retrieved 25 October 2016 Travellers all agree in their account of the effects of the simple air called The Virgin s Hymn sung in unison by the whole crew of the Sicilian seamen on board their ships when the sun sets or when it is the twenty fourth hour of Italy The editor identified the article s author in his obituary Reed Isaac ed October 1799 William Seward Esq European Magazine and London Review 36 4 219 220 William Seward amused himself with collecting the materials for what he called Drossiana in the present Magazine which he began in October 1789 and continued without intermission to the end of his life Grimm Ferdinand Philipp Lothar ed 1820 Das redende Marienbild zu Speier Volkssagen und Marchen der Deutschen und Auslander p 90 Retrieved 20 November 2016 Lehmann Christoph 1698 1612 Chronica Der Freyen Reichs Stadt Speier pp 438 440 Retrieved 3 August 2019 A Miscellaneous Collection of French and Italian Ariettas Jones Edward Scores at the International Music Score Library Project OCLC 829406125 Ellis Tecwyn 1959 Jones Edward Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales Retrieved 3 August 2019 Shaw Robert ed May 1794 Prayer of the Sicilian Mariners The Gentleman s Amusement 25 Retrieved 18 October 2016 Herder Johann Gottfried 1807 An die Jungfrau Maria Ein sizilianisches Schifferlied Stimmen der Volker in Liedern pp 175 176 Retrieved 18 October 2016 Franz Josef Haydn Catalogue XXIII Musique et Musiciens Retrieved 15 October 2016 Ludwig van Beethoven Catalogue WoO Musique et Musiciens Retrieved 15 October 2016 Parent Ulrich Rossler Martin 2002 O du frohliche In Hahn Gerhard Henkys Jurgen eds Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch Vol 4 pp 26 30 ISBN 9783525503256 Retrieved 15 October 2016 Crump William D ed 2013 O Sanctissima The Christmas Encyclopedia 3rd ed McFarland amp Co p 328 Mason Lowell Mason Timothy B eds 1835 The Sacred Harp or Eclectic Harmony p 131 Retrieved 15 October 2016 Brink Emily Polman Bert eds 1988 The Psalter Hymnal Handbook Retrieved 26 January 2015 Wallechinsky David Wallace Irving eds 1978 The People s Almanac 2 pp 806 809 Archived from the original on 25 February 2015 Bobetsky Victor V 2015 We Shall Overcome Essays on a Great American Song pp 1 4 ISBN 9781442236035 Retrieved 3 March 2015 External links edit nbsp Media related to O sanctissima at Wikimedia Commons O Sanctissima on YouTube The Cathedral Singers Richard Proulx Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title O sanctissima amp oldid 1194682051, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
