Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tuae, Jesus.
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Ave Maria
These are the lyrics of "Ave Maria," as composed by Franz Schubert. The English translation is the Hail Mary prayer recited by Catholics when praying the rosary.
Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Although I am not a Catholic and do not pray Marian prayers, this prayer is interesting to me because it is so fervent. The hymn by Schubert is especially moving, because it combines word and music. Van der Leeuw says the following about music: "Music does not work with masses, it occupies no space, and shape dissolves in it." The same is true of prayer. Van der Leeuw says of word, "The word which comes from God returns to him also in the form of praise." People pray, aloud or silently, with the intention of being heard by Someone who does not hear with human ears but knows the heart. The Hail Mary prayer set to music is intriguing, because it shows both the aspects of music and of word in one art form.
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