The Llibre Vermell de Montserrat ("Red Book of
Montserrat") is a manuscript collection of devotional texts containing,
amongst others, some late medieval songs. The songs are in Catalan, Occitan and
Latin. While the collection was written near the end of the 14th century, much
of the music in the collection appears from its style to originate earlier. The
14th-century manuscript was compiled in and is still located at the monastery
of Montserrat outside Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
The manuscript was prepared in approximately 1399. It
originally contained 172 double pages, of which 32 have been lost. Six folios
contain music. The title "The Red Book of Montserrat" describes the
red binding in which the collection was placed in the 19th century. No composer
is identified for any of the songs it contains.
The monastery of Montserrat holds the shrine of the Virgin
of Montserrat, which was a major site of pilgrimage during the time it was
compiled.
STELLA SPLENDENS
Stella splendens in monte
Ut solis radium
Miraculis serrato,
Exaudi populum.
Concurrunt universi
Gaudentes populi,
Divites et egeni,
Grandes et parvuli,
Ipsum ingrediuntur,
Ut cernunt oculi,
Et inde revertuntur
Gratiis repleti.
Principes et magnates
Ex stirpe regia,
Saeculi potestates
Obtenta venia
Peccaminun proclamant
Tundentes pectora,
Poplite flexo clamant
Hic: Ave Maria.
Prelati et barones,
Comites incliti,
Religiosi omnes
Atque presbyteri,
Milites, mercatores,
Cives, marinari,
Burgenses, piscatores
Preamiantur ibi.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
A bright star miraculously
shining on the mountain
like sunshine.
Hark the mass
assembling,
all people rejoicing,
the rich and the poor,
the greatest and the pettiest,
are gathering as well
as we are self-witnessing,
let’s all herald once more
this: Hail Mary
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