E06917: Aldhelm's poem On the Basilica of the Blessed Mary, Perpetual Virgin records the dedication of a church to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), presumably in Britain. Written in Latin in southern Britain, c. 670/710.
Creators: name: Bsavill
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Aldhelm, Carmina Ecclesiastica, 2<br><br>IN BASILICA BEATAE MARIAE SEMPER VIRGINIS<br>Hanc aulam Domini servat tutela Mariae ,<br>Cui veneranda rudis sacrantur culmina templi<br>Et nova consurgunt sacris vexilla triumphis.<br>Hac celebratur honor sacrae genetricis in aula,<br>Quae verum genuit lumen de lumine patris; <br>Quem clamant Titan almo spiramine vates.<br><br>Femina praepollens et sacra puerpera virgo,<br>Audi clementer populorum vota precantum,<br>Marcida qui riguis umectant imbribus ora<br>Ac genibus tundunt curvato poplite terram,<br>Dum veniam fuso lacrimarum fonte merentur<br>Et crebris precibus delent peccamina vitae!<br><br>Haec, inquam, virgo caelesti pignore feta<br>Edidit ex alvo salvantem saecula regem,<br>Imperium mundi solus qui iure gubernat,<br>Ut dudum angelico discit virguncula fatu,<br>Cum pater altithronus Gabrihel misisset ab astris.<br><br>Haec fuit, egregius quam promit carmine vates,<br>Qui Solimis quondam dives regnavit in arvis:<br>Hortus conclusus florenti vertice vernans,<br>Fons quoque signatus caelesti gurgite pollens<br>Necnon et turtur tremulus; cui praescius infit<br>Angelus: 'En sobolem generabis virgo perennem<br>Atque puerperium paritura puerpera gignes;<br>Filius altithroni faustus vocitetur in aevum!<br>Spiritus e caelo veniet sanctissimus in te:<br>Virtus ecce tuo confert umbracula cordi;<br>Patris obumbrabit te, virgo, celsa potestas.'<br>Quo dictu matri turgescunt viscera fetu,<br>Qui genitus mundum miseranda labe resolvit<br>Atque crucifixus polluta piacula tersit.<br><br><br>'ON THE BASILICA OF THE BLESSED MARY, PERPETUAL VIRGIN<br>Mary's protection keeps this house of the Lord: to her the venerable heights of this new church are consecrated, and new banners with their holy victories stand forth. In this church is proclaimed the glory of the Holy Mother, who bore the True Light from the light of the Father, Whom prophets with divine inspiration acclaim as Titan [i.e. the sun]!<br><br>Excellent lady and holy virgin mother: listen mercifully to the petitions of these people praying, who moisten their withered faces with streams of tears and, on bended leg, strike the earth with their knees, seeing that they deserve forgiveness from the flowing fountain of their tears and obliterate the sins of their life with their continual prayers.<br><br>This Virgin, I tell you, pregnant with heavenly offspring, produced from her womb the King Who redeems all ages, Who alone rightly controls the government of the world – just as this young maiden had previously learned from an angelic announcement, when the high-throned Father sent Gabriel (down) from the stars.<br><br>It was she whom the excellent prophet [i.e. Solomon], who once ruled as a wealthy man over the fields of Jerusalem, revealed in his song: "(My sister, my spouse) is a garden closed up, versant on the flowering summit [sc. of Libanus], a fountain sealed up, welling from the heavenly pool [cf. Song of Songs 4:2], a quivering dove [Song of Songs 2:14, 5:2, 6:8]." To her the prescient angel began to speak: "Behold, you shall beget an immortal offspring and you, a mother about to give birth, shall bring forth an infant; let this Son of the high-throned (God) be called blessed for all eternity! The Holy Spirit shall come unto you from heaven" behold, its might provides a (shady) bower for your heart; the heavenly power of the Father, holy maiden, shall protect you'. When this had been said the mother's womb swelled with the child Who, when He had been born, delivered the world from its lamentable defect (of sin) and, when He had been crucified, wiped away its foul wickedness.'<br> <br><br>Text: Ehwald 1919, 12-13. Translation: Lapidge and Rosier 1985, 47, title lightly modified.