Sequentia for Annunciation: Ave Maria (Virgo Serena)

The Sequence hymn for Annunciation is sung here by the Schola Cantorum de Regina Pacis (Klaipeda, Lithuania).



Here are the Latin and English words; the translation comes from this PDF file on the website of schola-antiqua.org.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum—virgo serena.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus—
que peperpisti pacem hominibus
et angelis gloriam.

Et benedictus fructus ventris tui -
qui coheredes ut essemus sui
nos, fecit per gratiam.

Per hoc autem Ave
Mundo tam suave,
Contra carnis iura

Genuisti prolem
Novum stella solem
Nova genitura.

Tu parvi et magni,
Leonis et agni,
Salvatoris Christi
Templum extitisti,
Sed virgo intacta.

Tu floris et roris,
Panis et pastoris,
Virginum regina
Rosa sine spina,
Genitrix es facta.

Tu civitas regis iusticie,
Tu mater es misericordie,
De lacu fæcis et miseriæ
Pænitentem reformans gratie.

Te collaudat celestis curia,
Tibi nostra favent obsequia,
Per te reis donatur venia.
Per te justis confertur gratia.

Ergo maris stella,
Verbi Dei cella
Et solis aurora,
Paradisi porta,
Per quam lux est orta,
Natum tuum ora,

Ut nos solvat a peccatis,
Et in regno claritatis
Quo lux lucet sedula,
Collocet per secula. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with you—O serene virgin.
Blessed are you among women,
you who bore peace for humankind
and glory for the angels.

And blessed is the fruit of your womb—
he who makes us his heirs through grace,
so that we might be his.

But though this “Ave” —
So pure and sweet,
Contrary to the law of the flesh—

You, O star, through a new birth
Brought forth your offspring,
The new sun.

You stand out as the temple
Of the humble and the great,
Of the lion and the lamb,
Of Christ the savior—
Yet you remain a virgin.

You have been made mother
Of the bud and the dew,
Of the bread and the shepherd
You are queen of virgins,
Rose without thorns.

You are the city of the king of justice,
You are mother of mercy,
From the pool of impurity and misery
You recast one who through grace
becomes a lover of God.

You the celestial curia together praises in song,
To You our services are devoted,
You who are mother and daughter of God,
Through You the pardon for guilt is offered.

Therefore star of the sea,
Sanctuary of the word of God
And dawn of the sun,
Door of paradise
Through which the Light is born:

Pray to Him your Son,
That He might free us from sins,
And place us in the kingdom of clarity,
Where the sedulous light shines
Through all ages.
Amen.