Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 9 : § 9.5-6

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth feature of the gratitude we owe the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

Stabat Mater

 5   St Antoninus (along with several others) gives credit to St Gregory the Great for this solemn Sequence or sorrowful lament of the Virgin which begins with the words : Stabat Mater dolorosa.

Te Matrem Dei laudamus

 

 6   In imitation of the Hymn written by St Ambrose and St Augustine which we call the Te Deum, St Bonaventure composed a piece which deserves to be reproduced here in full not only because of the beautiful titles with which he honours the Holy Virgin but also because it is not so commonly found as other hymns.

Here is what he wrote : 

Te Matrem Dei laudamus, te Mariam Virginem profitemur,

Te æterni Patris sponsam, omnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli et Archangeli, tibi Throni et Principatus fideliter deserviunt.

Tibi omnes Potestates, et omnes Virtutes coeli coelorum, et universæ Dominationes obediunt.

Tibi omnes Chori, tibi Cherubim et Seraphim, exultantes assistunt.

Tibi omnis Angelica creatura incessabili voce proclamat :

Sancta, Sancta, Sancta Maria Dei Genitrix, mater et virgo.

Pleni sunt coeli et terra majestatis gloriæ fructus ventris tui.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus sui Creatoris Matrem collaudat.

Te beatorum Martyrum coetus candidatus Christi Genitricem glorificat.

Te gloriosus Confessorum exercitus Trinitatis templum appellat.

Te Sanctarum virginum chorus amabilis, virginitatis et humilitatis exemplum prædicat.

Te tota coelestis curia Reginam honorat.

Te per universum orbem Ecclesia invocando concelebrat,

Matrem divinæ majestatis,

Venerandam te veram Regis coelestis puerperam,

Sanctam quoque, dulcem et piam.

Tu Angelorum Domina, tu Paradisi janua.

Tu scala Regni coelestis et gloriæ, tu thalamus, tu arca pietatis et gratiæ.

Tu vena misericordioe, tu Sponsa et Mater Regis æterni.

Tu templum et sacrarium Spiritus Sancti ; totius beatissimæ Trinitatis nobile triclinium.

Tu mediatrix Dei et hominum amatrix.

Tu agonizatrix pugnantium, advocata pauperum, miseratrix et refugium peccatorum.

Tu erogatrix munerum, superatrix ac terror Dæmonum et superborum.

Tu mundi Domina, coeli Regina, post Deum sola spes nostra.

Tu salus te invocantium, portus naufragantium, miserorum solatium, pereuntium refugium.

Tu mater omnium beatorum, gaudium plenum post Deum, omnium supernorum civium solatium.

Tu promotrix justorum, congregatrix errantium, promissio Patriarcharum.

Tu veritas Prophetarum, præconium et doctrix Apostolorum, magistra Evangelistarum.

Tu fortitudo Martyrum, exemplar Confessorum, honor et festivitas Virginum.

Tu ad liberandum exulem hominem Filium Dei suscepisti in uterum.

Per te, expugnato hoste antiquo, sunt aperta fidelibus regna coelorum.

Tu cum Filio tuo sedes ad dexteram Patris : tu ipsum pro nobis roga, Virgo Maria, quem nos adjudicandum credimus esse venturum.

Te ergo poscimus nobis famulis tuis subveni, qui pretioso sanguine Filii tui redempti sumus.

Æterna fac, pia virgo, nos cum Sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

Salvum fac populum tuum, Domina, ut simus participes hoereditatis Filii tui.

Et rege nos, et custodi nos in æternum mente et voce.

Dignare, dulcis Maria, nunc et semper nos sine delicto conservare.

Miserere pia nobis, miserere nobis.

Fiat misericordia tua magna nobiscum, quia in te, Virgo Maria, confidimus.

In te, dulcis Maria, speramus, nos defendas in æternum.

Te decet laus, te decet imperium, tibi virtus et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.

[Translator’s note: Here is my English translation which takes into account the text in “A Devout Exercise in Honour of the ever blessed Virgin Mother of God, Mary conceived without original sin. From the writings of Saint Bonaventure. In Latin and English.” R. Washbourne, London (1872). For those who are interested, here is a link to the 1872 work : A Devout Exercise.]

We praise thee, O Mother of God : we acknowledge thee O Mary, ever Virgin;
Spouse[1] of the eternal Father, all the earth doth venerate thee.
To thee all the Angels and Archangels, to thee the Thrones and Principalities faithfully offer their service;
To thee all the Powers, all the Virtues in the highest Heavens and all the Dominations are obedient.
Before thee all the Choirs stand in glad attendance, as do the Cherubim and Seraphim;
To thee all Angelic creatures unceasingly proclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Mary Mother of God : Mother and Virgin!
Heaven and earth are full of the glorious majesty of the fruit of thy womb.
The glorious chorus of Apostles praiseth the Mother of their Creator;
The white-robed company of blessed Martyrs glorifieth her that bare the Christ;
The glorious army of Confessors calleth thee the temple of the Trinity;
The amiable[2] choir of holy Virgins proclaimeth thee a model of virginity and humility;

The whole court of Heaven honoureth thee as Queen;
Holy Church throughout the world calleth upon thee, celebrating thy praise : 
Mother of divine majesty,
Mother most venerable, thou didst in truth bring forth the King of Heaven,
Mother most holy, sweet-natured and gracious;
Thou art the Mistress of the Angels, thou art the gate of Paradise;
Thou art the ladder to the Kingdom of Heaven and to glory, thou art Heaven’s nuptial chamber[3], thou art the ark of piety and grace;
Thou art the channel of mercy, thou art the Spouse and Mother of the eternal King;
Thou art the Temple and Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit; the noble triclinium[4] for the entire blessed Trinity;

Thou art the mediatrix between God and man, with a tender love for mankind;

Thou art a source of strength for them that contend; the advocate of the poor, having mercy upon sinners and serving as their refuge;

Thou bestoweth divine gifts; thou art the vanquisher and terror of the devils and the proud;

Thou art Mistress of this world and Queen of Heaven, and our only hope after God.

Thou art salvation for those who cry unto thee, a safe haven for the shipwrecked; consolation of the afflicted and refuge of them that perish.

Thou art the Mother of all the Blessed, the fulness of joy after God and the consolation of all the citizens of Heaven.

Thou promotest the just and gatherest them that are scattered; thou art the promise of the Patriarchs,

Thou art the truth of the Prophets, the teacher of the Apostles, giving strength to their preaching, and the guide of the Evangelists;

Thou art the strength of the Martyrs, the model for Confessors and the honour and joy of Virgins;

Thou didst take into thy womb the Son of God, unto the deliverance of man from his exile;

Through thee, the ancient foe being vanquished, the Kingdom of Heaven was opened to believers; 

Thou sittest with thy Son at the right hand of the Father; do thou pray on our behalf to Him who will come again to judge us, O Virgin Mary; 

We therefore pray that thou wilt come unto the aid of thy servants who have been redeemed by the precious blood of thy Son; 

Do thou, O gentle Virgin, make us to be numbered with thy Saints in everlasting glory;

Save thy people, dearest Lady, that we may be partakers in the inheritance of thy Son;

Do thou govern us and guard us for ever, in our thoughts and in our speech;

O gentle Mary, deign to keep us free from sin now and for ever;

Have mercy on us, sweet Mother, have mercy on us;

Let thy great mercy be upon us, O Virgin Mary, for we have placed our trust in thee.

In thee, sweetest Mary, do we hope, do thou protect us for ever.

To thee be praise, and power, and virtue and glory : for ever and ever.

Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Fr Poiré has sponsam but the 1872 text has filiam / daughter.

[2] amiable : used here in its historic sense : Worthy of being loved, lovable; lovely. A1375–1905. OED.

[3] thalamus : an inner room, bedchamber, a marriage-bed, bridal-bed. See LewisShort & DMLBS at Logeion. Cf. Cant. i. 15, iii. 1, 7, & vi. 1.

[4] triclinium: an arrangement of three couches, (transf.) room or hall containing (three) couches, (esp.) dining room (OED).

© Peter Bloor 2026 

👑   👑   👑

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.