This edition was prepared by Manfred Hößl — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ave Maris Stella
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets, Office hymns
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Ave Maris Stella by Léo Delibes — Lyrics
Ave, maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix caeli porta.
Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Evae nomen.
Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce
Monstra te esse matrem
Sumat per te preces,
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About Ave Maris Stella
Léo Delibes's setting of Ave Maris Stella for SA voices in Latin is a devotional motet rooted in the tradition of office hymns. The text is a Marian antiphon, addressing Mary as the Star of the Sea, the nurturing Mother of God, and the Ever Virgin, the gate of Heaven. It invokes her as the one who received the greeting from Gabriel, asking her to found us in peace and change Eve's name. The hymn continues by pleading for the release of the guilty, light for the blind, and the removal of evils, asking for all good things. It asks her to show herself as a mother, so that he who was born for us and became yours may receive our prayers through her. The composer's sensitive treatment of this ancient text highlights its plea for purity, peace, and divine intercession, making it a powerful addition to sacred choral repertoire.
