The Gladness of Thy Motherhood / Te Gestientem Gaudiis

Painting by Bernardo Cavallino, 1640 - Wikipedia

PROPER OF SAINTS - The Gladness of Thy Motherhood is a translation by the Abbot of Fort Augustus Abbey, Scotland Oswald Hunter-Blair (1853-1939) of Te Gestientem Gaudiis by Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini, OP (1695-1779). In 1757, Fr. Ricchini composed this hymn along with 3 others for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. Originally included only in the Dominican Breviary, they were added to the Roman Breviary in 1888. The four hymns are essentially one work: the first 3 hymns are comprised of 5 stanzas each (plus doxology) which correspond to the 15 mysteries of the traditional Rosary. The final hymn: Te Gestientem Gaudiis (the only one in use today) is a recapitulation of the first three hymns. In the Roman Breviary it was traditionally sung at 2nd Vespers on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary (Oct. 7). The Gladness of Thy Motherhood can be sung to any hymn tune with 8.8.8.8 metre such as the 7th century Latin hymn: Creator Alme Siderum, as featured in the following video.

Tune: Creator Alme Siderum

THE GLADNESS OF THE MOTHERHOOD by Oswald Hunter-Blair

1. The gladness of thy Motherhood,
The anguish of thy suffering,
The glory now that crowns thy brow,
O Virgin Mother, we would sing.

2. Hail, blessed Mother, full of joy
In thy consent, thy visit too;
Joy in the birth of Christ on earth,
Joy in Him lost and found anew.

3. Hail, sorrowing in His agony
The blows, the thorns that pierced His brow;
The heavy wood, the shameful Rood
Yea! Queen and chief of Martyrs thou.

4. Hail, in the triumph of thy Son,
The quickening flames of Pentecost;
Shining a Queen in light serene,
When all the world is tempest-tost.

5. O come, ye nations, roses bring,
culled from these mysteries divine,
and for the Mother of your King
with loving hands your chaplets twine.

6. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.



TE GESTIENTEM GAUDIIS by Augustine Thomas Ricchini

1. Te gestientem gaudiis,
Te sauciam doloribus,
Te iugi amictam gloria,
O Virgo Mater, pangimus.

2. Ave, redundans gaudio
Dum concipis, dum visitas;
Et edis, offers, invenis,
Mater beata, Filium.

3. Ave, dolens, et intimo
In corde agonem, verbera,
Spinas crucemque Filii perpessa,
Princeps martyrum.

4. Ave, in triumphis Filii,
In ignibus Paracliti,
in regni honore et lumine,
Regina fulgens gloria.

5. Venite, gentes, carpite
Ex his rosas mysteriis,
Et pulchri amoris inclitae
Matri coronas nectite.

6. Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.

Now Hell is Vanquished / Iam Morte, Victor, Obruta

Painting by Luca Giordano (1634-1705) - Courtesy of Wikipedia

PROPER OF SAINTS - Now Hell is Vanquished is a translation by the Anglican Priest Winfred Douglas (1867-1944) of Iam Morte, Victor, Obruta by Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini, OP (1695-1779). In 1757, Fr. Ricchini composed this hymn along with 3 others for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. Originally included only in the Dominican Breviary, they were added to the Roman Breviary in 1888. The four hymns are essentially one work: the first 3 hymns are comprised of 5 stanzas each (plus doxology) which correspond to the 15 mysteries of the traditional Rosary. The final hymn: Te Gestientem Gaudiis (the only one in use today) is a recapitulation of the first three hymns. In the Roman Breviary, Iam Morte, Victor, Obruta (which has as it's theme: the Glorious Mysteries) was traditionally sung at Lauds on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary (Oct. 7). Now Hell is Vanquished can be sung to any hymn tune with 8.8.8.8 metre such as the 7th century Latin hymn: Creator Alme Siderum, as featured in the following video.

Tune: Creator Alme Siderum

NOW HELL IS VANQUISHED by Winfred Douglas

1. Now Hell is vanquished; every chain
Of sin is broken; Christ again
Returning, victor over death,
The gates of heaven openeth.

 2. We mortals saw Him, till He passed
Into the heavens, where at last,
Partaker of God's glory bright,
He sitteth on the Father's right.

 3. From thence He sheds the promised boon,
The Holy Spirit, on His own
In fiery tongues of love, o'erspread
Above each sad disciple's head.

 4. The Virgin, from the flesh set free,
Is borne beyond the stars; where she
Receives from heaven's joyous throngs
The welcome of angelic songs.

 5. Twice six the stars that crown her brow;
The gracious Mother reigneth now
Beside her Son's eternal throne
O'er all creation as her own.

 6. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.


IAM MORTE, VICTOR, OBRUTA by Augustine Thomas Ricchini

 1. Iam morte, victor, obruta,
Ab inferis Christus redit,
Fractisque culpae vinculis,
Caeli recludit limina.

2. Visus satis mortalibus
Ascendit ad caelestia,
Dextraeque Patris assidet
Consors Paternae gloriae. 

3.  Quem iam suis promiserat,
Sanctum daturus Spiritum,
Linguis amoris igneis
Maestis alumnis impluit.

4. Soluta carnis pondere
Ad astra Virgo tollitur,
Excepta caeli iubilo,
Et Angelorum canticis.

5. Bis sena cingunt sidera
Almae parentis verticem:
Throno propinqua Filii
Cunctis creatis imperat.

6. Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.

The Mount of Olives Witnesseth / In Monte Olivis Consito

Painting by Andrea Mantegna, 1460 - Courtesy of Wikipedia

PROPER OF SAINTS - The Mount of Olives Witnesseth is a translation by Fr. Hugh T. Henry (1862-1946) of In Monte Olivis Consito by Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini, OP (1695-1779). In 1757, Fr. Ricchini composed this hymn along with 3 others for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. Originally included only in the Dominican Breviary, they were added to the Roman Breviary in 1888. The four hymns are essentially one work: the first 3 hymns are comprised of 5 stanzas each (plus doxology) which correspond to the 15 mysteries of the traditional Rosary. The final hymn: Te Gestientem Gaudiis (the only one in use today) is a recapitulation of the first three hymns. In the Roman Breviary, In Monte Olivis Consito (which has as it's theme: the Sorrowful Mysteries) was traditionally sung at Matins on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary (Oct. 7). The Mount of Olives Witnesseth can be sung to any hymn tune with 8.8.8.8 metre such as the 7th century Latin hymn: Creator Alme Siderum, as featured in the following video.

Tune: Creator Alme Siderum

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES WITNESSETH by Alan G. McDougal

1. The Mount of Olives witnesseth
The awful agony of God:
His soul is sorrowful to death,
His sweat of blood bedews the sod.

2. And now the traitor's work is done:
The clamorous crowds around Him surge;
Bound to pillar, God the Son
Quivers beneath the blood-red scourge.

3. Lo! clad in purple soiled and worn,
Meekly the Savior waiteth now
While wretches plait the cruel thorn
To crown with shame His royal brow.

4. Sweating and sighing, faint with loss
Of what hath flowed from life's red fount,
He bears the exceeding heavy Cross
Up the verge of Calvary's mount.

5. Nailed to the wood of ancient curse,
Between two thieves the Sinless One
Still praying for His murderers,
Breathes forth His soul, and all is done!

6. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.


IN MONTE OLIVIS CONSITO BY Augustine Thomas Ricchini

1. In monte olivis consito
Redemptor orans procidit,
Maeret, pavescit, deficit,
Sudore manans sanguinis.

2. A proditore traditus
Raptatur in poenas Deus,
Durisque vinctus nexibus,
Flagris cruentis caeditur. 

3. Intexta acutis sentibus,
Corona contumeliae,
Squalenti amictum purpura,
Regem coronat gloriae.

4. Molis crucem ter arduae,
Sudans, anhelans, concidens,
Ad montis usque verticem
Gestare vi compellitur.

5. Confixus atro stipite
Inter scelestos innocens,
Orando pro tortoribus,
Exsanguis efflat spiritum.

6. Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.

The Messenger from God's High Throne / Caelestis Aulae Nuntius

Painting by Paolo de Matteis, 1721 - Courtesy of Wikipedia

PROPER OF SAINTS - The Messenger from God's High Throne is a translation by the Catholic convert, Alan G. McDougall (1895-1964) of Caelestis Aulae Nuntius by Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini, OP (1695-1779). In 1757, Fr. Ricchini composed this hymn along with 3 others for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. Originally included only in the Dominican Breviary, they were added to the Roman Breviary in 1888. The four hymns are essentially one work: the first 3 hymns are comprised of 5 stanzas each (plus doxology) which correspond to the 15 mysteries of the traditional Rosary. The final hymn: Te Gestientem Gaudiis (the only one in use today) is a recapitulation of the first three hymns. In the Roman Breviary, Caelestis Aulae Nuntius (which has as it's theme: the Joyful Mysteries) was traditionally sung at 1st Vespers on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary (Oct. 7). The Messenger from God's High Throne can be sung to any hymn tune with 8.8.8.8 metre such as the 7th century Latin hymn: Creator Alme Siderum, as featured in the following video.

Tune: Creator Alme Siderum


THE MESSENGERS FROM GOD'S THRONE by Alan G. McDougall

1. The Messenger from God's high throne
His secret counsel making known
Hails Mary, child of David's race,
God's Virgin Mother, full of grace.

2. The Mother Maid with joyous feet
Her friend, John's mother, goes to greet;
He, stirring in the enclosing womb,
Declares that Christ his Lord has come.

3. The Word, who ere the worlds began,
From God the Father's thought forth ran,
Of Mary, Virgin undefiled,
For us is born a mortal child.

4. Christ to the Temple courts they bring;
The King's own law subjects the King;
The world's Redeemer for a price
is there redeemed, our sacrifice.

5. The joyful Mother finds once more
The Son she mourned as lost before;
While doctors by His speech were shown
The mysteries they had never known.

6. All honor laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.



CAELESTIS AULAE NUNTIUS by Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini

1. Caelestis aulae Nuntius,
Arcana pandens Numinis,
Plenam salutat gratia
Dei Parentem Virginem. 

2. Virgo propinquam sanguine
Matrem Ioannis visitat,
Qui, clausus alvo, gestiens
Adesse Christum nuntiat.

3. Verbum, quod ante saecula
E mente Patris prodiit,
E Matris alvo Virginis,
Mortalis Infans nascitur. 

4. Templo puellus sistitur,
Legique paret Legifer,
Hic se Redemptor paupere
Pretio redemptus immolat.

5. Quem iam dolebat perditum,
Mox laeta Mater invenit
Ignota doctis mentibus
Edisserentem Filium. 

6. Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.