MCE 04-02 Salve decus virginum : Tu convallis humilis

Edition

Motet

Incipit of stanza 1a of the sequence Salve mater salvatoris loosely quoted in C and T (opening):
1--g--g--h--g--k--kjh---j--j---4
See the Introduction.

Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)

Edition	Translation
Salve, decus virginum, Mediatrix hominum, Salutis puerpera,	Hail, splendour of virgins, mediator of men, bearer of salvation,
Myrtus^[1] temperantiae^[2], Rosa patientiae, Nardus odorifera^[3].	Myrtle of temperance, rose of patience, fragrant spikenard.
Porta clausa, fons hortorum^[i], Cella^[ii] custos unguentorum, Cella^[iii] pigmentaria,	Closed gate, spring of the gardens, chamber and custodian of unguents, chamber of healing ointments,
Cinnamomi^[iv] calamum^[4], Murram^[v], tus^[vi] et balsamum Superans fragrantia.	Surpassing a branch of cinnamon, myrrh, incense, and balsam in fragrance.
Tu convallis humilis, Terra non arabilis Quae fructum parturiit.	You humble valley, soil that cannot be ploughed [but] that bore fruit.
Flos campi, convallium^[vii] Singulare lilium, Christus ex te prodiit.	Flower of the field, singular lily of the valleys, Christ came forth from you.
Tu caelestis paradisus Libanusque^[5] non incisus Vaporans dulcedinem.	You, heavenly paradise and uncut frankincense that emanates sweetness.
Tu candoris et decoris, Tu dulcoris et odoris Habens plenitudinem^[6].	The plentifulness of brightness and beauty, of sweetness and fragrance, you possess.

^[1] myrtus] virtus Librone 1, T B; mirtus A

^[2] temperantiae] teperantie Librone 1, C

^[3] odorifera] odrifera Librone 1, A

^[4] calamum] talamun Librone 1, A

^[5] Libanusque] libanuque Librone 1, C

^[6] plenitudinem] pleni plenitudinem Librone 1, B

^[i] hortorum] ortorum Librone 1, C A T B

^[ii] cella] cela Librone 1, C A T B

^[iii] cella] cela Librone 1, C A T B

^[iv] cinnamomi] cynamomi Librone 1, T; cinamomi Librone 1, A B

^[v] murram] mirram Librone 1, C A T B

^[vi] tus] thus Librone 1, C A T B

^[vii] convallium] conualium Librone 1, T

This edition is based on Librone 1, ff. 85v–87r, where the text was written by Scribe B, like all other motets of this cycle.
The text presents quite a few mistakes and orthographical variants. Apart from some missing letters (‘odrifera’ for odorifera in A, ‘libanuque’ for Libanusque in C) and abbreviation signs (‘teperantie’ for temperantie in A), the scribe also wrongly copied the word ‘virtus’ instead of the correct myrtus in B. As for the orthography of the text, in many places the spelling reflects the particular phonetic aspect of the words, for instance the constant omission of double consonants, as in ‘cela’ for cella (in all voices) or ‘cinamomi’ for cinnamomi (in A and B).
All verses of the motet were drawn from the same sequence of Adam of Saint-Victor (AH 54, no. 245, pp. 383–86) from which the first motet of the cycle was taken. Verse form and rhythm are thus the same.
In this part of the sequence (verses 5–12 in AH) the usual topic of Marian devotion is expressed through several different images that can be divided into two main topics referring to two sensorial aspects: smell and vision. Mary is likened not only to different sweet-smelling plants and flowers (myrtle, rose, lily) but also praised as ‘fragrant spikenard’, ‘chamber of healing ointments’ that surpasses the fragrance of ‘a branch of cinnamon, myrrh, incense, and balsam’, and as ‘frankincense that emanates sweetness’. Her beauty is thematized in the last verse, in which her fragrance is again mentioned (‘The plentifulness of brightness and beauty, / of sweetness and fragrance, / you possess’).

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Measure	Voice	Source	Category	Comment	Image
		I-Mfd1	rubrics and verbal directions	‘F. G.’ added later by Gaffurius
		I-Mfd1	designation of voices	–, Contra acutus, Tenor, Contra gravis
		I-Mfd1	clefs	original clefs: c1, c3, c4, c4
53-54	2	I-Mfd1	rubrics and verbal directions	‘Verte folium’ direction at f. 85v, pointing to the second part of the piece on the following opening, and corresponding to the passage between mm. 53 and 54 in the edition
62	4	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	Sb e instead of f
99	2	I-Mfd1	pitch and rhythm	one more Sb d’ at the end of the bar, with a thin stroke in the middle that maybe indicates its deletion	Show

Edition	Translation
Salve, decus virginum, Mediatrix hominum, Salutis puerpera,	Hail, splendour of virgins, mediator of men, bearer of salvation,
Myrtus temperantiae, Rosa patientiae, Nardus odorifera.	Myrtle of temperance, rose of patience, fragrant spikenard.
Porta clausa, fons hortorum, Cella custos unguentorum, Cella pigmentaria,	Closed gate, spring of the gardens, chamber and custodian of unguents, chamber of healing ointments,
Cinnamomi calamum, Murram, tus et balsamum Superans fragrantia.	Surpassing a branch of cinnamon, myrrh, incense, and balsam in fragrance.
Tu convallis humilis, Terra non arabilis Quae fructum parturiit.	You humble valley, soil that cannot be ploughed [but] that bore fruit.
Flos campi, convallium Singulare lilium, Christus ex te prodiit.	Flower of the field, singular lily of the valleys, Christ came forth from you.
Tu caelestis paradisus Libanusque non incisus Vaporans dulcedinem.	You, heavenly paradise and uncut frankincense that emanates sweetness.
Tu candoris et decoris, Tu dulcoris et odoris Habens plenitudinem.	The plentifulness of brightness and beauty, of sweetness and fragrance, you possess.

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