With each composition I listened carefully to try to make out what text was being sung, which was not always easy to do. Surprisingly, it appeared that not one text existed, for I found a number of variations.

It appears that two principal variations exist, with the main difference found in the 19th stanza, with completely different versions.

In the table below you will find the two basic versions. In the left column the one which is published in Analecta hymnica mediiaevi 1886-1922, 55 vols, A consolidation of the history and texts of hymns of the Catholic Church 500 – 1400, vol. 54, p.312. In my comments on the compositions I will call this the “Analecta-version”.

In the right column I give the version that I think is official nowadays in the church. As far as I know this has become official since 1908. I will refer to it as the “Vatican-version”. The differences between the two I have emphasized by using italics. Though I have not yet been able to find out with absolute certainty what text of the Stabat Mater is the original one, strong indications can be found. For instance, it is interesting to notice that an alternative that is used in the Vatican version (the second line in stanza 17, Fac me cruce inebriari), cannot be right: this line has a syllable more than the 8 syllables that are characteristic for this poem!   Furthermore, the last words of stanzas 19 and 20 (victoriae, gloria) do not rhyme! The oldest reference to the deviating “Vatican” stanza 19 can be found in the 15th century manuscript Laurenziano Ashburnamiano.

An further indication that the “Analecta”-version could be the original poem can be found in the existence of a counterpart of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, the Stabat Mater Speciosa. This poem has been found in a medieval handwriting, and it is clearly based on the “Analecta”-version.

In a little book from 1957 by P.Maximilianus O.F.M.Cap. (probably a Dutch catholic clergyman) called De Middelnederlandse Vertalingen van het Stabat Mater the author describes a study in which he examines seven mediaeval translations of the poem into Dutch, found in medieval manuscripts.

During this study he has met a number of deviating Latin stanzas (a.o. for the nrs. 10, 14, 16, 17 and 18) which can be found in the second colum of the table, within parentheses. He blames these on the bad work of copyists who tried to better the original.

He further states, that the German author C.Blume in his work Stimmen der Zeit (1915) after an extensive analysis of over 50 manuscripts, also concluded that the “Analecta”-version must be the original one.

The medieval English composers Ashwell, Brown, Cornysh and Davy all use a text that differs greatly from the original. The first 8 stanzas are the same, but the other 12 are replaced by 6 others, not only with a different content, but also with a different rhyme scheme (aaac, bbbc). These stanzas can be found below, after the original poem.

Finally, it is interesting to note that nowadays almost nobody pays any attention to the fact that in Latin the letter “J” does not exist! As I try to be as close to the original as possible, I have replaced every “J” with an “I”.
Now (February 2003) Martin Giles mails me that in Latin the letters “u” and “v” are the same. According to him, consistent would be to use “u” for lower case (inuentus, in stead of inventus) and “V” for upper case (Vt, in stead of Ut). He may be right, but I am not going to be as consistent as that, as it would change the “look” of the text completely!

“Analecta”-version		“Vatican”-version
Stabat Mater dolorosa Iuxta crucem lacrimosa Dum pendebat Filius	1	Stabat Mater dolorosa Iuxta crucem lacrimosa Dum pendebat Filius
Cuius animam gementem Contristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius	2	Cuius animam gementem Contristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius
O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater unigeniti!	3	O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater unigeniti!
Quae moerebat et dolebat, Et tremebat cum videbat Nati poenas incliti	4	Quae moerebat et dolebat, Pia Mater, dum videbat Nati poenas incliti
Quis est homo qui non fleret, Christi Matrem si videret In tanto supplicio?	5	Quis est homo qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si videret In tanto supplicio?
Quis non posset contristari, Piam Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio?	6	Quis non posset contristari, Christi Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio?
Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Iesum in tormentis, Et flagellis subditum.	7	Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Iesum in tormentis, Et flagellis subditum.
Vidit suum dulcem natum Moriendo desolatum Dum emisit spiritum	8	Vidit suum dulcem natum Moriendo desolatum Dum emisit spiritum
Eia Mater, fons amoris Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam	9	Eia Mater, fons amoris Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum Ut sibi complaceam	10	Fac, ut ardeat cor meum         (Ut cor nostrum exardescat) In amando Christum Deum     (Et in Christo requiescat) Ut sibi complaceam                (Ut ei placeamus)
Sancta Mater, istud agas, Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide.	11	Sancta Mater, istud agas, Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide.
Tui nati vulnerati, Tam dignati pro me pati, Poenas mecum divide.	12	Tui nati vulnerati, Tam dignati pro me pati, Poenas mecum divide.
Fac me vere tecum flere, Crucifixo condolere, Donec ego vixero.	13	Fac me tecum, pie, flere, Crucifixo condolere, Donec ego vixero.
Iuxta crucem tecum stare, Te libenter sociare In planctu desidero	14	Iuxta crucem tecum stare,     (In me sistat dolor tui) Et me tibi sociare                  (Crucifixo fac me frui) In planctu desidero                (Dum sim in exilio)
Virgo virginum praeclara, Mihi iam non sis amara Fac me tecum plangere	15	Virgo virginum praeclara, Mihi iam non sis amara Fac me tecum plangere
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem Passionis eius sortem, Et plagas recolere.	16	Fac, ut portem Christi mortem Passionis fac consortem, Et plagas recolere.
Fac me plagis vulnerari, Cruce hac inebriari, Ob amorem Filii	17	Fac me plagis vulnerari,         (Spinis, clavis vulnerari) Fac me cruce inebriari,           (Cruce, lancea beari) Et cruore Filii
Inflammatus et accensus Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus In die iudicii.	18	Flammis ne urar succensus   (Virgo dulcis, virgo pia) Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus    (Virgo clemens, o Maria) In die iudicii                             (Audi preces servuli)
Fac me cruce custodiri Morte Christi praemuniri Confoveri gratia	19	Christe, cum sit hinc exire, Da per Matrem me venire Ad palmam victoriae
Quando corpus morietur, Fac, ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen.	20	Quando corpus morietur, Fac, ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen

 

Medieval English (Stanzas 9 – 14) with translation

Stabat Mater, rubens rosa Iuxta crucem lacrimosa Videns ferre criminosa Nullum reum crimine	9	The Mother stood, a blushing rose in tears at the foot of the cross as she saw him undergo a criminal’s fate who was guilty of no crime
Et dum stetit generosa Iuxta natum dolorosa Plebs tunc canit clamorosa: ‘Crucifige, crucifige’	10	And as she stood with full heart grieving beside her son the crowd shouted raucously: ‘Crucify him, crucify him’
O quam gravis illa poena Tibi, virgo poenae plena Commemorans praeamoena Iam versa in maestetam	11	O how grievous was the pain you suffered, Virgin full of sorrows when you recalled former joys now all turned to lamentation
Color erat non inventus In te, Mater, dum detentus Stabat natus, sic contentus Ad debellandum Sathanam	12	All the life drained from you, Mother, while your son stood constrained there gladly bearing his pain that Satan might be overthrown
Per haec, nata praeamata Natum tuum, qui peccata Delet cuncta perpetrata Deprecare dulciflue	13	By these merits, most beloved lady, beseech your son, who takes away all the sin that we have committed with sweet and gracious prayers
Ut, nostra tergens ingrata In nobis plantet firme grata Per quem dando praelibata Praestet aeterna requi. Amen	14	That, wiping away all our stain he might plant firmly in us the gifts of grace and might fulfil in us what they promise in our eternal rest. Amen