January 10th: Fifth Day within the Octave of Epiphany: Sequence 'Flos pudicitiae'

"As our offering to our Lady, we will recite this beautiful Sequence, which our own dear England used to sing in the Middle-Ages."

Flos pudicitiae,
Aula munditiae,
Mater misericordiae.
Salve Virgo serena,
Vitae vena,
Lux amoena,
Rore plena
Septiformis Spiritus,
Virtutibus
Ornantibus,
Ac moribus
Vernantibus!

(O flower of purity! Sanctuary of chastity! Mother of mercy!
Hail, gentle Maid! Source of Life! Beautiful light!
Full of the dew of the sevenfold Spirit!
Adorned with all virtues, and blooming in holiness of life!)

Rosa jucunda,
Castitatis lilium,
Prole foecunda,
Gignis Dei Filium;
Virgoque munda
Tu post puerperium.
Modo miro,
Sine viro,
Prole foecundaris.

(Sweet Rose! Lily of chastity! Fruirful Mother,
Thou givest birth to the Son of God!
And after thy delivery thou remainest a pure Virgin!
Thou art made His Mother in a wonderful way -
nature stood aside to let its God do all.)

Summi Ducis
Verae lucis
Partu decoraris.
Virga, flore,
Rubo, rore
Virgo designaris.

(How beautiful art thou by giving birth
to Him that is the very Light - the great King!
Those ancient figures of the Law -
the Rod, the Flower, the Bush, the Dew
- all were types of thee, sweet Virgin Mother!)

Vellereque
Madenteque
Digna Domini paris.
Virgo prolem Stella solem,
Profers, expers paris.

(And Gedeon's Fleece, soaked with the dew of Heaven,
foreshadowed thee O Mary, the worthy Mother of our God!
Thou art a Virgin, and thou hast a Child!
Thou art a Star, and thou bringest forth a Sun!
Dear peerless Queen!)

Ob hoc rite,
Via vitae
Jure praedicaris.
Tu spes, et refugium
Lapsorum humilium:
Tu medela criminum,
Salus poenitentium.

(And after this, can men be found who deem it wrong
to call them 'the Way of Life'?
Thou art the Hope, and the Refuge of humble sinners;
thou healest them whose hearts are sick from crime,
and thou winnest salvation for them that repent.)

Tu solamen tristium,
Levamen debilium;
Tu purgatrix sordium,
Confirmatrix cordium.

(Thou art the comfortress of the afflicted,
and the support of the weak;
the unclean of heart ask thee to pray them pure,
and souls discouraged get bravery from thee.)

Tu laus, tu remedium
In te confidentium:
Tu vitale praemium
Tibi servientium.

(Thou art the glory and the helper of them
that have confidence in thee; and, by thy prayers,
thou obtainest the reward of eternal life for them that serve thee.)

O pia Maria,
Lapsid advocata,
Tu cunctis miseris
Dulcis spes et grata.

(O Mary, full of motherly love! thou art the sinner's advocate,
and the sweet consoling hope of them that are in wretchedness.)

Erige, direge
Corda tuorum,
Ad pia gaudia
Regni coelorum.
Quo vere gaudere
Per te possimus,
Cum Natoque tuo,
Regnantes simus Amen.

(Raise up the hearts of us thy clients,
and turn them to the holy joys of the heavenly kingdom.
Where we may, by thy intercession, truly rejoice,
and reign together with thy Son. Amen)