Ahle

Jesu, joyance of my heart

Jesu, joyance of my heart, 
Blessed Jesu; 
Bliss unto my soul thou art, 
Holy Jesu; 
Sure defence from Satan's dart, 
Sweetest Jesu.

Thousand times I think of thee, 
My Redeemer; 
Only yearn thy face to see; 
My Redeemer. 
Longing for thy company, 
My Redeemer.

Nought is lovelier than thou, 
Dearest Jesu; 
None id friendlier than thou; 
Gentlest Jesu; 
Nor is any sweet as thou, 
Sweetest Jesu.

Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)

Miserere

Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. 
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum : dele iniquitatem meam. 
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me. 
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: 
  et peccatum meum contra me est semper. 
Tibi soli peccavi et malum coram te feci: 
  ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis et vincas cum iudicaris. 
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: 
  et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. 
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: 
  incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi. 
Asparges me hysopo et mundabor: lavabis me et super nivem dealbabor. 
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: exultabunt ossa humiliata. 
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele. 
Cor mundum crea in me Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis. 
Ne projicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. 
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur. 
Libera me de sanguinibus Deus Deus salutis meae: 
  exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam. 
Domine labia mea aperies: et os meum adnuntiabit laudem tuam. 
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem utique: 
  holocaustis non delectaberis. 
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: 
  cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despicies. 
Benigne fac Domine in bona voluntate tua Sion: 
  ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem. 
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae oblationes et holocausta: 
  tunc inponent super altare tuum vitulos. 

Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness : 
  according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness : and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults : and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight : 
  that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness : and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts : 
  and shall make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : 
  thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness : 
  that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Turn thy face from my sins : and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a dean heart, O God : and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence : and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
O give me the comfort of thy help again : and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked : 
  and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health : 
  and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord : and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee : 
  but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit : 
a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto Sion : 
  build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, 
    with the burnt-offerings and oblations : 
 then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

Anerio

Christus factus est

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem,
mortem autem crucis. 
Propter quod et Deus exultavit illum, 
et dedit illi nomen, 
quod est super omne nomen

Anonymous

Alma redemptoris mater

Alma redemptoris mater.

As I lay upon a night, 
my thought was on a burd so bright
that men clepn Mary, full of might,
redemptoris mater. 

To her came Gabriel with light 
And said: Hail be thou, blissful wight!
To ben cleped now art thou dight 
redemptoris mater. 

At that word that lady bright 
Anon conceived God full of might; 
Then men wist well that she hight
redemptoris mater. 

When Jesu on the rood was pight,
Mary was doleful of that sight 
Till she see him rise upright, 
redemptoris mater. 

Jesu that sittest in heaven light, 
Grant us to comen beforn thy sight 
With that burde that is so bright, 
redemptoris mater.

[burd = maiden, clepn = call, wight = person, cleped = called, 
dight = appointed, anon = straightway, wist = knew, hight = named, 
rood = crucifix, pight = pitched]

Coventry Carol

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, 
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, 
How may we do 
For to preserve this day? 
This poor youngling 
For whom we do sing, 
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the King, 
In his raging, 
Charged he hath this day 
His men of might, 
In his own sight, 
All young children to slay

That woe is me, 
Poor child for thee! 
And ever morn and day, 
For thy parting 
Neither say nor sing, 
By, by, lully, lullay.

Man, assay

Man, assay, [assay = attempt to endeavour]
and ask mercy while thou may. 

In sin if thou thy life have led, 
Amend thee, man, and be not adread; 
God for thee his mercy hath spread; 
Assay, assay. 

For though thy sin be never so ill, 
Amend thyselve, man, if that thou will; 
God will not that thou spill; [spill=perish]
Assay, assay. 

For he that thee so dear has bought, 
Mercy he would that thou sought; 
If thou it ask, he nays it nought; [nays it nought= negates (your sins) and sets (them) at nothing]
Assay, assay. 

Thy life on earth here thus thou spend, 
Praying to Jesu that thou not shend; [shend= be punished for your deeds]
Then joy and bliss shall be thine end; 
Assay, assay. 

Man, assay,
and ask mercy while thou may. 

Rejoice in the Lord alway

Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice. 
Let your softness be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand. 
Be careful for nothing: but in all prayer and supplication, 
let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks. 
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu. 
Amen. 

There is no rose

There is no rose of such virtue, 
As is the rose that bear Jesu.
Alleluia.

For in this rose contained was 
Heaven and earth in little space; 
Res miranda.

By that rose we may well see 
That he is God in persons three,
Pari forma.

The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis Deo:
Gaudeamus.

Leave we all this worldly mirth, 
And follow we this joyful birth; 
Transeamus.

Malcolm Archer

Ave Maria

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum: 
benedicta tu in mulieribus, 
et benedictus fructum ventris tui.
Amen.

Blessed are the pure in heart

Blest are the pure in heart, 
For they shall see God, 
The secret of the Lord is theirs, 
Their soul is Christ's abode

The Lord, who left the heavens 
Our life and peace to bring, 
To dwell in lowliness with us, 
Our pattern and our King; 

Still to the lowly soul 
He doth himself impart, 
And for his dwelling and his throne 
Chooseth the pure in heart. 

Lord, we thy presence seek; 
May ours this blessing be; 
Give us a pure and lowly heart, 
A temple meet for thee. 

Thomas Attwood

Come, Holy Ghost

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, 
And lighten with celestial fire; 
Thou the anointing Spirit art, 
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart: 

Thy blessed unction from above 
Is comfort, life and fire of love; 
Enable with perpetual light 
The dullness of our blinded sight: 

Anoint and cheer our soiled face 
With the abundance of thy grace: 
Keep far our foes, give peace at home; 
Where thou art guide no ill can come. 

Teach us to know the Father, Son, 
And Thee, of Both, to be but One; 
That through the agea all along 
This may be our endless song, 

Praise to thy eternal merit, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Teach me, O Lord

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statues, 
and I will keep them unto the end. 

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