Christmas Cantata A Meditation at the Crib

Stabat Mater speciosa (Anon)

Stabat Mater speciosa,

Juxta foenum gaudiosa,

Dum jacebat parvulus.

Cujus animam gaudentem

Laetabundam ac ferventem,

Pertransivit jubilus.

O quam laeta et beata

Fuit illa immaculata,

Mater unigeniti!

Quae gaudebat et ridebat

Exultabat, cum videbat

Nati partum inclyti.

Quis jam est, qui non gauderet

Christi matrem si videret

In tanto solatio?

Quis non posset collaetari

Christi matrem contemplari

Ludentem cum filio.

Carol: Sweet was the song the Virgin sang

Sweet was the song the Virgin sang,

When she to Bethlem Juda came

And was delivered of a son,

That blessed Jesus hath to name:

`Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby,

Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby.'

`Lalullaby, sweet babe,' sang she,

`My son, and eke a Saviour born,

Who hast vouchsafed from on high

To visit us that were forlorn:

`Lalula, lalula, lalullaby.

Sweet babe,' sang she,

And rocked him sweetly on her knee. (William Ballet)

By by lullaby,

Rockyd I my child.

II Pro peccatis suae gentis

Pro peccatis suae gentis

Christum vidit cum jumentis

Et algori subditum;

In a dre late as I lay

Me thought I hard a maydyn say

And spak thes wordys mylde,

`My lytil sone with the I play'

And ever she song by lullay.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum

Vagientem, adoratum,

Vili diversorio.

Thus rockyd she hyr chyld,

By by lullaby,

Rockyd I my chyld by by.

Nato Christo in praesepe

Coeli cives canunt laete

Cum immenso gaudio;

Then merveld I ryght sore of thys

A mayde to have a chyld I wys,

By by lullay.

Stabat senex cum puella

Non cum verbo nec loquela

Stupescentes cordibus.

Thus rockyd she hyr chyld,

By by lullaby,

Rockyd I my chyld. (Anon. 15th century)

Interlude

III Eia, Mater, fons amoris

Eia, Mater, fons amoris,

Me sentire vim ardoris

Fac ut tecum sentiam!

Dormi, dormi bel Bambin,

Re Divin,

Dormi, dormi Fantolin.

Fa la nanna, o caro Figlio,

Re del ciel,

Re del ciel,

Tanto bel grazioso giglio.

Fac ut ardeat cor meum

In amatum Christum Deum

Ut sibi complaceam.

Perche piangi, O Bambinel?

Forse il gel

Ti da noia, o l'asinel?

Fa la nanna, o Paradiso

Del mio cuor,

Del mio cuor:

Redentor, to bacio il viso.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,

Prone introducas plagas

Cordi fixas valide.

Cosi presto voi provar

A penar

E venire a sospirar?

Dormi che verra poi giorno

Di partir,

Di partir,

Di morir con tuo scorn (Trad. Italian)

Tui nati coelo lapsi

Jam dignati foeno nasci

Poenas mecum divide.

Carol: New Prince, New Pomp

Behold, a silly tender Babe

In freezing winter night

In homely manger trembling lies,

Alas, a piteous sight!

The inns are full; no man will yield

This little pilgrim bed,

But forced he is with silly beasts

In crib to shroud his head.

Despise him not for lying there,

First, what he is inquire;

An orient pearl is often found

In depth of dirty mire.

Weigh not his crib, his wooden dish,

Nor beasts that by him feed;

Weigh not his Mother's poor attire,

Nor Joseph's simple weed.

This stable is a Prince's court,

This crib his chair of state;

The beasts are parcel of his pomp,

The wooden dish his plate.

The persons in that poor attire

His royal liveries wear;

The Prince himself is come from heaven;

This pomp is prized there.

With joy approach, O Christian wight,

Do homage to thy King;

And highly praise his humble pomp,

Which he from heaven doth bring. (Robert Southwell)

IV Fac me vere congaudere

Fac me vere congaudere

Jesulino cohaerere

Donec ego vivero.

In me sistat ardor tui;

Puerino fac me frui

Dum sum in exilio.

Hunc ardorem fac communem,

Ne me facias immunem

Ab hoc desiderio.

V Virgo virginum praeclara

Virgo virginum praeclara,

Mihi jam non sis amara;

Fac me parvum rapere;

Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris,

Dort, dort, dort le petit Fils;

Mille anges divins,

Mille séraphins

Volent à l'entour

De ce grand Dieu d'amour.

Fac ut pulchrum fantem portem

Qui nascendo vicit mortem

Volens vitam tradere.

Entre les deux bras de Marie

Dort, dort, dort le fruit de vie;

Mille anges divins,

Mille séraphins

Volent à l'entour

De ce grand Dieu d'amour.

Fac me tecum satiari,

Nato me inebriari,

Stans inter tripudia.

Entre les pastoureaux jolis

Dort, dort, dort le petit Fils;

Mille anges divins,

Mille séraphins

Volent à l'entour

De ce grand Dieu d'amour. (Trad. French)

Inflammatus et accensus

Obstupescit omni sensus

Tali de commercio.

Carol: Balulalow

Oh, my dear hert, young Jesus sweit,

Prepare thy creddil in my spreit,

And I sall rock thee in my hert,

And never mair from thee depart.

But I sall praise thee ever moir,

With sangis sweit unto thy gloir;

The knees of my hert sall I bow,

And sing that richt Balulalow.

(James, John & Robert Wedderburn)

Interlude

Stabat Mater speciosa,

Juxta foenum gaudiosa,

Dum jacebat parvulus.

VI Fac me nato custodire

Fac me nato custodiri,

Verbo Dei praemuniri,

Conservari gratia;

Quando corpus morietur,

Fac ut animae donetur

Tui nati visio.

Eia Mater Domini,

Quae pacem reddidisti

Angelis et homini

Cum Christum genuisti;

Tuum exora filium

Ut se nobis propitium

Exhibeat, et deleat peccata:

Praestans auxilium

Vita frui beata

Post hoc exilium.

(from Angelus ad Virginem, Anon. 13^th century)