O SANCTISSIMA


O Sanctissima O Piissima (1)
Dulcis Virgo Maria
Mater amta intemerata
Ora ora pro nobis

Tota pulchra es O Maria
Et macula non est in te
Mater anmata intemerata
Ora ora pro nobis

Sicut lilium inter spinas(2)
Sic Maria inter filias
Mater amata intemerata
Ora ora pro nobis

In miseria in angustia
Ora Virgo pro nobis
Pro nobis ora in mortis hora
Ora ora pro nobis

Tu solatium et refugium
Virgo Mater Maria
Quidquid optamus
per te speramus (3)
Ora, ora pro nobis


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O SANCTISSIMA
English wording to the tune of "O Sanctissima"


Day of holiness
Peace and happiness,
Joyful glorious Christmas day.
Angels tell the story.
Of this day in glory,
Praise Christ, our Savior, born this Christmas Day!

(Contributed by Frank DiSalle - December 2003)

Two other English Renditions:

    O thou happy, O thou holy
    Glorious peace bringing Christmas time
    Angel throngs to meet thee
    On Thy birth we greet Thee
    Hail to Christ, the Son of God, our newborn king

Or,

    Oh, how joyfully; Oh, how merrily
    Christmas comes with its grace divine
    Grace again is beaming
    Christ the world redeeming;
    Hail, ye Christians,
    Hail the joyous Christmas time


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Click here to jump to the German wording: O DU FRÖHLICHE

Click here to jump to the Spanish wording: OH SANTÍSIMO, FELICÍSIMO

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Translation of the Latin 

O most holy
O most devoted
Sweet Virgin Mary
Mother with love unswerving
Pray, o pray for us.

You are true beauty,
O Mary
And there is no stain of sin in you
Mother with love unswerving
Pray, o pray for us

Like the lily among the thorns
So are you O Mary among women(4)
Mother with love unswerving
Pray, o pray for us

In our misery and anguish
Pray for us, O Virgin
Pray for us in the hour of our death
Pray, o pray for us 

O comfort and refuge
Virgin Mother Mary
Whatever we seek, we aspire to through you
Pray, o pray for us

 

(1)  (1) Pious is a difficult word to use in modern English. 
It has acquired a modern stuffy idiom that it does not possess in Latin.

(2)  (2) Biblical Reference: Song of Solomon

(3)  (3) In this verse, it is important to remember 
the role of the Virgin as “Intercessor with Our Intercessor" 

(4)  (4)  translated in this sense as Daughters of Man 
although the original Song of Solomon sense is far more worldly.

(Translation per  Mike Tittensor January 2013)