Ave Regina Caelorum | Herman the Cripple Strikes Again

https://tinyurl.com/avereginacaelorum

A new liturgical season, a new Marian antiphon! This antiphon dates back to around the year 1200, possibly earlier if, as it has been suggested, it was composed by our old friend Herman the Cripple: the author of Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris mater, two of the other Marian antiphons (also of Veni Sancte Spiritus…the dude was prolific).

Herman was born a cripple and with a cleft palate and a paralytic disease so that he had great difficulty moving and could barely speak. His parents left him in a Benedictine monastery as they couldn’t take care of him, and he eventually joined the order at the age of 20. He didn’t actually write hymns until much later in his life. First he wrote on history, mathematics, astronomy, and music theory. Finally, when he lost his sight soon before his death, he turned his hand to hymns, and didn’t do too shabbily.

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.

Hail, O Queen of Heaven.

Hail, 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.