"O Mary, By Thy 'Fiat,'" text for Our Lady of Sorrows
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 229
    Grace and peace, everyone. Here's something I wrote awhile back, a text in 10.10.10.10.10.10. I really love it with UNDE ET MEMORES (please do not follow the lead of some music publishers and dumb down the last phrase).

    1.O Mary, by Thy "Fiat" came the dawn
    Of goodness, truth, and beauty born anew,
    Yet in the presence of the Holy One
    We make reply with lips and lives untrue;
    O Mother, yet a Maid, we know not how,
    Arise, and be a Mother to us now.

    2. O Mary, from Thy body poured such Light
    That all God's angels, dazzled, joined to sing;
    Behold, as on that first and holy night,
    The world is cold, and spurns Thy Son our King;
    O Theotokos, hope remains our vow:
    Arise, and be a Mother to us now.

    3. O Mary, standing vigil at the Cross,
    What mother's anguish is unknown to Thee?
    In contemplation of Thy greatest loss,
    Both saints and sinners own the mystery:
    O Queen of Sorrows, weeping Mother Thou,
    Arise, and be a Mother to us now.

    4. Hail Mary, now and always full of grace,
    Pray for Thy children in our life and death,
    That, when Thy Jesus calls us from this place,
    We may arise, and say with final breath:
    Hail, holy Queen to whom the heavens bow;
    Arise, and be a Mother to us now.

    (c) 2023 Anna Bendiksen
    Thanked by 2ServiamScores CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,743
    Anna, you have truly outdone yourself. I think this is your best to date. I will be scheduling this for sure!
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,743
    Unde et memores is a nice tune choice (and for a more somber setting, Finlandia would work as well).
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,965
    I assume your parenthetical is expressing a preference for this phrasing (example from The New English Hymnal via Hymnary):

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    Thanked by 2Anna_Bendiksen CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,965
    as opposed to (example from Breaking Bad - an alteration of the tune for the sake of this particular text, i.e., presumably to shift the emphasis from sac-ra-MENT to SAC-ra-ment):

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    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 229
    ServiamScores---thank you, how kind!!

    Liam---nailed it.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 229
    It was St. Teresa of Kolkata's prayer, "Mother of God, be a mother to me now," that inspired this text. To her and to Our Lady does the credit really belong.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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