MCE 05-06 Quem terra pontus aethera

Edition

Motet

PL-Wu 5892, ff. 11v-12r

The motet is transmitted in both Libroni almost identically. Besides a single melodic/rhythmic variant (at m. 33), a few omissions of text, and other inaccuracies in the text underlay in I-Mfd 2, no other substantial differences separate the two copies. It is unclear, however, whether I-Mfd 1 was the source for I-Mfd 2, or, more likely (on the basis of the observations concerning Ave regina caelorum), the two motets were copied from another source.

In the Silesian source PL-Wu 5892 the motet is copied without the flat in the key signature. Because of the setting of erroneous clefs in Cantus and Altus, the second part of the motet sounds in these voices at a wrong pitch, distorting the sense of the composition. Once the clefs is emended, the melodic lines on the whole match the Milanese transmission, except for some rhythmic and melodic variants and an error at m. 40 (as well as a few inaccuracies, such as the omission of the final note in the Tenor). No accidentals are notated. The text is written out in all voices. The distribution of the verses shows one major discrepancy (B, mm. 18–23) compared to the Milanese source. In the written repetition of the word ‘desideratus’ in all (and not in just two) voices this source shares the reading of I-Mfd 2.

The more complete and more carefully written version of the motet in I-Mfd 1 has been used as the source of this edition.

Text (ed. by Eva Ferro)

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Edition
</td>
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Translation
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<tr>
<td>
Quem terra, pontus<a href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1">[i]</a>, aethera<a href="#_edn2" name="_ednref2">[ii]</a> 
Colunt, adorant, praedicant, 
Trinam<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> regentem machinam<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> 
Claustrum<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a> Mariae baiulat<a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a>, 
Secreta<a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a> quae non noverat.
</td>
<td>
He whom earth, sea, and the heavens 
honour, adore, announce, 
ruling the threefold creation 
Mary’s cloistered womb carries, 
she who did not know the secrets.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Cui<a href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6">[6]</a> luna, sol et omnia 
Deserviunt per tempora, 
Perfusa caeli gratia 
Gestant<a href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7">[7]</a> puellae<a href="#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8">[8]</a> viscera<a href="#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9">[9]</a>.
</td>
<td>
The one whom moon, sun, and all things 
ardently serve through the ages, 
suffused by heaven’s grace 
the womb of a girl bears.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Beata mater munere, 
Cuius supernus artifex 
Mundum<a href="#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10">[10]</a><a href="#_edn3" name="_ednref3">[iii]</a> pugillo<a href="#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11">[11]</a><a href="#_edn4" name="_ednref4">[iv]</a> continens<a href="#_edn5" name="_ednref5">[v]</a> 
Ventris<a href="#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12">[12]</a> sub arca clausus est.
</td>
<td>
Mother blessed with a gift, 
whose highest Creator, 
he who contains the world in his little fist, 
was closed up in &lang;her&rang; womb’s casket.
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
Beata caeli nuntio, 
Fecunda sancto spiritu, 
Desideratus<a href="#_edn6" name="_ednref6">[vi]</a> gentibus 
Cuius per alvum<a href="#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13">[13]</a> fusus est.
</td>
<td>
Blessed by heaven’s messenger, 
fertile through the Holy Ghost, 
desired by the people 
through whose womb was brought forth.
</td>
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</tbody>
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<hr class="texted-line" />
<a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> trinam] trina Librone 2, C A

<a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> machinam] added below the line PL-Wu 5892, C

<a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> claustrum] clastrum PL-Wu 5892, B

<a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> baiulat] baiulant Librone 1, T

<a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> secreta] was corrected in secreta from secrata PL-Wu 5892, C

<a href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> cui] added below the line PL-Wu 5892, C

<a href="#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7">[7]</a> gestant] gestat Librone 2, T B

<a href="#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8">[8]</a> puellae] pele Librone 2, T, puella B

<a href="#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9">[9]</a> viscera] uisera Librone 1, T B; Librone 2, B

<a href="#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10">[10]</a> mundum] mundo Librone 2, T

<a href="#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11">[11]</a> pugillo] pusilo Librone 2, T

<a href="#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12">[12]</a> ventris] ventis Librone 2, T; ventus Librone 2, B

<a href="#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13">[13]</a> alvum] alium Librone 1, T

<hr class="texted-line" />
<a href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1">[i]</a> pontus] pondus Librone 1, C A T B; puntus Librone 2, C T

<a href="#_ednref2" name="_edn2">[ii]</a> aethera] etera Librone 2, A

<a href="#_ednref3" name="_edn3">[iii]</a> mundum] mondum Librone 1, A

<a href="#_ednref4" name="_edn4">[iv]</a> pugillo] pugilo Librone 1, A T

<a href="#_ednref5" name="_edn5">[v]</a> continens] cuntinens Librone 2, A T

<a href="#_ednref6" name="_edn6">[vi]</a> desideratus] descideratus Librone 2, T

The edition of the text of this motet is based on three sources: Librone 1 (ff. 131v–132r), Librone 2 (ff. 52v–53r), and PL-Wu 5892 (ff. 11v–12r). The two Libroni, and especially Librone 2, present more inaccuracies than the Silesian/Polish manuscript: in Librone 2 for instance we find: ‘trina’ for trinam in Cantus and Altus, ‘gestat’ for gestant in Tenor, ‘pele’ for puellae in Cantus, ‘mundo’ for mundum in Tenor, ‘ventis’ for ventris in Tenor, and ‘ventus’ for ventris in Bassus, and so on. The Silesian/Polish source, on the contrary, transmits a good text and its copyist even intervened to correct words that had been wrongly copied in the first place (for instance, he corrects ‘secrata’ to secreta in the Cantus). Also, while the Libroni offer a wide range of phonetic variance (d for t in pontus in Librone 1, A T B; o for u in mundum in Librone 1, A), the third source presents no particular phonetic phenomena, except those most commonly attested in medieval Latin.

The literary source for this motet is a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Quem terra, pontus, aethera (AH 50, no. 72, at pp. 86–87, stanzas 1, 2, 4, 5), written in the sixth century by Venantius Fortunatus, an Italian poet who was active in the Merovingian territory and became bishop of Poitiers. All stanzas of the motet are drawn from this hymn, except for the insertion of a line from another late antique hymn, Sedulius’s A solis ortus cardine (AH 50, no. 53/2, at p. 58, stanza 3, line 4) at the end of the first stanza (‘secreta, quae non noverat’). Quem terra, pontus, aethera was used liturgically for different Marian feasts (Annunciation, Purification, Nativity, and so on). The text of the hymns is followed to the letter, except for the substitution of the word ‘beata’ for benedicta in the fourth stanza of the motet.

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<td>
Librone 1, ff.  131v–132r and Librone 2, ff. 52v–53r
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<td>
AH 50, no. 72
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<td>
Quem terra, pontus, aethera 
Colunt, adorant, praedicant, 
Trinam regentem machinam 
Claustrum Mariae baiulat, 
Secreta quae non noverat.
</td>
<td>
1. Quem terra, pontus, aethera 
Colunt, adorant, praedicant, 
Trinam regentem machinam 
Claustrum Mariae baiulat.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Cui luna, sol et omnia 
Deserviunt per tempora, 
Perfusa caeli gratia 
Gestant puellae viscera.
</td>
<td>
2. Cui luna, sol et omnia 
Deserviunt per tempora, 
Perfusa caeli gratia 
Gestant puellae viscera.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Beata mater munere, 
Cuius supernus artifex 
Mundum pugillo continens 
Ventris sub arca clausus est.
</td>
<td>
4. Beata mater munere, 
Cuius supernus artifex 
Mundum pugillo continens 
Ventris sub arca clausus est.
</td>
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<tr>
<td>
Beata caeli nuntio, 
Fecunda sancto spiritu, 
Desideratus gentibus 
Cuius per alvum fusus est.
</td>
<td>
5. Benedicta caeli nuntio, 
Fecunda sancto spiritu, 
Desideratus gentibus 
Cuius per alvum fusus est.
</td>
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The metrical scheme of this hymn is typical for medieval hymns and goes back to Ambrose’s hymns. It involves the use of eight iambs (∪ — ∪ — ∪ — ∪ —).