Ave Regina Coelorum, Dufay

The “Ave Regina Caelorum” is one of the four liturgical season Marian antiphons sung throughout the year. It is sung from the Presentation of the Lord (The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary), through Wednesday of Holy Week.

The other three are the Regina Caeli (sung during liturgical Easter), the Salve Regina (from Trinity Sunday until the Saturday before Advent), and the Alma Redemptoris Mater (Advent through February 2).

Latin

Ave, Regina caelorum,

Ave, Domina Angelorum: 

Salve, radix, salve, porta

Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, 

Super omnes speciosa, 

Vale, o valde decora, 

Et pro nobis Christum exora.

V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata.

R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.

Oremus. Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostrae praesidium: ut, qui sanctae Dei Genitricis memoriam agimus; intercessionis eius auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

English

Hail, O Queen of Heaven Welcome,

O Queen of Heaven. Welcome, O Lady of Angels

Hail! thou root, hail! thou gate

From whom unto the world, a light has arisen:

Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, Lovely beyond all others, 

Farewell, most beautiful maiden, 

And pray for us to Christ.

V. Allow me to praise thee, O sacred Virgin. 

R. Against thy enemies give me strength.

Let us pray. Grant unto us, O merciful God, a defense against our weakness, that we who remember the holy Mother of God, by the help of her intercession, may rise from our iniquities, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Composer: *Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474)

Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Canonici Miscellaneous (Canon. Misc.) 213, fol. 062r Performers: Singer Pur

Album: Singer Pur Vokalsolistenensemble

Label: Ars Musici, 1995 (catalogue n. AMP 5035-2)