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Show "STABAT MATER. Sketch of the Author Who Wrote the . Sublime Words. The "Stabat Mater" so frequently heard throughout the Catholic and high church services during Lent is well known, whether sung. in the solemn sol-emn Gregorian chant or the more elaborate elab-orate dressing given by so many of the world's' great musicians. But of all who listen to the soulful strains of that exquisite hymn, how few have ever given thought to the author who wrote me sublime words, or when, or where or how he worked, says a writer in the Chicago Record-Herald. After an earlv ln2. romantic career Jacque Benedetti a Todi became a lay brother and voiced his pious emotions in the simple "Stabat "Sta-bat Mater Dolorosa." He was the most popular and inspired poet of the Franciscan Fran-ciscan order in the thirteenth century In his youth he was rather dissolute and extravagance of dress and living were among his highest ambitions. He ! thought to attain the summit of his Happiness in his marriage with a lady of beauty and high rank. The marriage mar-riage -proved a happy one. Jacque idolized idol-ized his wife and revered in her the Christian virtue which made her life more beautiful than that of other women. wo-men. About this time Benedetti was niade jurisconsult of Urnbria, and n-as obliged to entertain a irrent rti tt loved pleasure, and breathed freely only when in an atmosphere of gay, stirring life and surrounded by everything that could charm the sense or delight the taste. One day Benedetti came home in high spirits, saying to his wife: "Great news, dear one. We are to have the games once more at Todi: the then shall no longer be overgrown with moss and weeds." His wife, who was at heart an escetlc, listened, but was not pleased. She loved and appreciated her husbahd's generous qualities, but she also recognized the fact that he set his' heart too much upon the things of this world. -To please him she promised to array herself in costly silks and filmly Venetian lace for the occasion. The games, the Egyptian dancing girls, and the music all proved a success, but just in the midst of the merriment there came a sudden crackling spund, shrieks filled the a"r, the grand porch with its freight of life and beauty fell a heaped; up ruin into the arena. With a nWc- ing cry Benedetti struggled to reach his wife. She still breathed, and he carried her to a place of safety, her head reposing on his shoulder. He cut open her bodice that the heart might have no pressure upon it. To his astonishment he saw she wore a rough hair shirt beneath her fine linen. A cry escaped him and, bending bend-ing down his ear, he heard her whisper with white, dying lips: "It was for thee, dear one! Penance! Penance" and ! expired in his arms. This misfortune changed the whole current of his life. His next step was to resign his civic dignitaries and, to the amazement of his old friends he sold his goods and distributed his 'possessions 'pos-sessions to the poor, then dressed in rags. This was considered by many as an evidence of insanity. His feet were bare, often bleeding from the sharp uneven stones; he looked neither to the right nor to the left; he haunted the churches and was absorbed in devotion The boys in the streets nicknamed him 'Jocopone," mad Jacque. At last he realized that the continuance of this sort of penance might prove dangerous, danger-ous, and he felt that he needed the surer gruide of obedience to some certain cer-tain rule. He affiliated with the Third Order of Franciscans. He lived long years, abating, nothing of his austerities, austeri-ties, and shortly before his death, from his prison at Collazone. he gave the world his matchless hymn, the "Stabat Mater," whose mournful strains are known and loved by all musicians, so sweet that the sorrow it evokes might win the solace of angels. The inscription inscrip-tion on Jacopone's tomb at Todi reads this way: "Here lies the remains of Jacopone di Benedetti of the Order of Friars M'nor : who was ignorant for Christ's sake de- i spised and yet enriched the world by a new art, and made heaven his own" ' There are various translations of the i "Stabat Mater," but this one is com- i monly in use: m AT THE CROSS HER STVTIOV '" 1 KEEPING. c At the -cross . her station keeping I Stood the mournful Mother weeping i Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart. His sorrow sharing All His bitter anguish bearing. Now at length the sword has passed Oh! how sad and sore distressed Was that Mother, highly blest, Of the sole begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs; She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying, glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, Whelmed in miseries so deep, . - Christ's dear Mother to behold?' Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain, In that Mother's pain untold? Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, She beheld her tender Child All with bloody scourges rent; For the sin of His own nation Saw Him hang in desolation, "Till His spirit forth He sent. Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourned for me, All the days that I may live; By the cross with thee to stay; There with thee to weep and pray, Is all I ask of thee to give. O thou Mother, fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, Make my heart with thine accord; Make me feel as thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt - With the love of Christ, my Lord. Virgin of all virgins blest! Listen to my fond request; Let me share thy grief divine; Let me. to my latest breath, In my body bear the death. Of that dying- Son of thine. Holy Mother! pierce me through; In my. heart each wound renew, Of my Savior crucified. |
