At 1:34 pm +0200 30/5/99, Irina Rempt-Drijfhout wrote:
>On Sun, 30 May 1999, Raymond A. Brown wrote:
>
>> Irina gives a version of the poem used on a particular feast.  But the poem
>> is by no means retricted to that and, indeed, is often used in the popular
>> devotion "Stations of the Cross".  The version I have has eighteen verses.
>
>Ooh! Can I have it?

Certainly.

>I didn't intend to give a poetic translation, only to convey what
>it's about to people who don't have any Latin at all. It's not a
>translation exercise (or is it? ;-)

Sorry if it sounded as tho I was criticizing your translation.  It wasn't
intended.  What I mean is that _any_ literal translation is bound to lose
the rhythm & rhyme of the original and thus IMO loses quite a bit of the
effectiveness of the original.

As for a translation exercise - no, that's not what I intended.
Translating verse & getting over as much of the _feel_ of the original as
possible is difficult - some would say impossible.  Certainly I've not
succeeded with this one - as you'll see below.

I quote the version I have in full since there are some differences in
wording between this version & the one you quoted (always a problem with
ancient texts :)

  Stabat mater dolorosa           The/a sorrowful mother stood
  Juxta crucem lacrimosa,         beside a cross, full of tears,
  Dum pendebat filius:            while her son was hanging (there).

  Cujus animam gementem,          And her soul sighing,
  Contristantem et dolentem       sharing his sadness & grieving -
  Pertransivit gladius.           a sword did pass through [it].

  O quam tristis et afflicta      O, how sad and stricken
  Fuit illa benedicta             was that blessed
  Mater Unigeniti!                mother of the only begotten one.

  Quae moerebat et dolebat,       And she lamented and grieved,
  Et tremebat cum videbat         and trembled, when she saw
  Nati poenas incliti.            the torments of her famous son.

  Quis est homo qui non fleret,   Who is the person who would not weep
  Matrem Christi si videret       if they saw the mother of Christ
  In tanto supplicio?             in so great a suffering?

  Quis non posset contristari,    Who would be unable to share her sadness,
  Piam matrem contemplari         at observing the loving mother
  Dolentem cum filio?             suffering with her son?

  Pro peccatis suae gentis        For the sins of his own people
  Jesum vidit in tormentis        she saw Jesus subjected to torments
  Et flagellis subditum.          and whippings.

  Vidit suum dulcem natum         She saw her sweet son
  Morientem desolatum,            dying abandoned,
  Cum emisit spiritum.            when he yielded up his spirit.

  Eja, mater, fons amoris,        Ah, Mother, fountain of love,
  Me sentire vim doloris          make me feel the strength of your sorrow
  Fac, ut tecum lugeam.           so that I may mourn with you.

  Fac, ut ardeat cor meum         Make my heart burn
  In amando Christum Deum,        in loving Christ, my God,
  Ut sibi complaceam.             that I may please him.

  Sancta mater, illud agas:       Holy mother, do this [for me]:
  Crucifixi fige plagas           fix the wounds of the crucified one
  Cordi meo valide.               firmly in my heart.

  Tui nati vulnerati,             [The pains] of your wounded son,
  Tam dignati pro me pati,        who deigned to suffer so much for me,
  Poenas mecum divide.            - share [those] pains with me.

  Fac me vere tecum flere,        Make me truly weep with you,
  Crucifixo condolere,            & share the pain of the crucified one,
  Donec ego vixero;               as long as I shall live;

  Juxta crucem tecum stare,       To stand with you beside the cross,
  Te libenter sociare             to willingly join you
  In planctu desidero.            in lamentation - [this] I yearn for.

  Virgo virginum praeclara,       Virgin, matchless among virgins,
  Mihi jam non sis amara:         do not now be ill-disposed to me:
  Fac me tecum plangere.          make me sorrow with you.

  Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,  Make me carry Christ's death [within me]
  Passionis ejus sortem           & upon the destiny of his suffering
  Et plagas recolere.             & upon his wounds may I contemplate.

  Fac me plagis vulnerari,        Make me be wounded by his wounds,
  Cruce hac inebriari             inebriated by this cross [of his],
  Ob amorem filii.                for the love of your son.

  Inflammatus et accensus,        Inflamed & set on fire,
  Per te, virgo, sim defensus     may I be defended by you, O virgin,
  In die judicii.                 on the day of judgment.

  Fac me cruce custodiri,         Make me be protected by the cross,
  Morte Christi praemuniri,       fortified by the death of Christ,
  Confoveri gratia.               & strengthened by his grace.

  Quando corpus morietur,         When my body dies.
  Fac ut animae donetur           make it my soul is granted
  Paradisi gloria.                the glory of paradise.
------------------------------------------------------------

A very rough translation, I'm afraid - trying to keep it as closely line by
line as possible to make the Latin easier to follow.

Even here ambiguity raises its head.  In the 3rd verse from the end - with
what am I inflammed & set on fire?  With love for Christ & his mother?
With grief for Christ's passion & Mary's sorrow?  Literally as this
creation is consumed in fire on Judgment Day?  With all these things,
surely!

Ray.