Canticle to Our Lady of Hope
Written in 1848/49 by Canon Prud’homme, Founder and Director of the Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Hope, shortly after the second French Revolution. This hymn is from a time chaos and war. Read about that history in our article Our Lady of Hope, Portmain
This hymn was sung by the people of Portmain, France during the stand off with the Prussian enemy when Our Lady appeared to several young children on 17 January 1871
Refrain
Mère de l’Espérance,
Dont le nom est si doux, (bis)
Protégez notre France, (bis)
Priez, priez pour nous (bis)
Souvenez-vous, Marie,
Qu’un de nos souverains
Remit notre patrie
En vos augustes mains.
La France tout entière
A redit nos serments:
Vous êtes notre Mère,
Nous sommes vos enfants.
La crainte et la tristesse
Ont gagné tous les coeurs;
Rendez-nous l’allégresse,
La paix et le bonheur.
En ces jours de souffrance
Sauvez-nous du danger,
Épargnez à la France
Le joug de l’étranger.
Des mères en alarmes
Raffermissez les cœurs;
Venez sécher leurs larmes,
ô Mère des douleurs!
Au chemin de la gloire,
Conduisez nos soldats
Donnez leur la victoire
Au jour des saints combats.
Et si, pour la Patrie,
Bravant les coups du sort
Ils vont donner leur vie,
Ah ! couronnez leur mort !
Refrain
Mother of Hope,
Whose name is so sweet, (bis)
Protect our France, (bis)
Pray, pray for us (bis)
Remember, Mary,
That one of our rulers
Returned our homeland
In your august hands.
All of France
Repeated our oaths:
You are our Mother,
We are your children.
Fear and sadness
Have won all hearts;
Give us back the joy,
Peace and happiness.
In these days of suffering
Save us from danger,
Spare France
The yoke of the stranger.
Mothers in alarm
Firm hearts;
Come dry their tears,
O Mother of Sorrows!
On the way to glory,
Lead our soldiers
Give them victory
On the day of holy battles.
And if, for the Fatherland,
Braving the blows of fate
They will give their lives,
Ah! crown their deaths!
150th Anniversary: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1375742836094798
It seems the movement Canon Prud’homme began still has its supporters today. His supporters are shocked at a more recent rewriting of the hymn which is clearly more peaceful in its theme. In fact only the first 2 lines remain the same and is sung to a different tune. The revised version has words by Père André Caplet (there is another André Caplet who is a more reknowned composer, a contempory of Debussy). It is based on a 19th century French melody with arrangement by Jean-Paul Lécot (1947 – ) who is currently Maître de chapelle and organist at the Sanctuary of Notre Dame of Lourdes
Mère de l'Espérance
Refrain
Mère de l’Espérance
Dont le nom est si doux,
Madone de l’enfance,
Demeure auprès de nous! (bis)
Tu es bien notre Mère,
Toi qui as visité
sur leur lointaine terre
les enfants extasiés.
Apparaît ton sourire
Dans la nuit étoilée,
Il fait toujours revivre
Les cœurs désemparés.
Apprends-nous la prière,
Icône de beauté ;
Dieu n’est-il pas le Père,
Tout Amour et Bonté?
Mère de toute grâce,
A l’univers troublé,
Fais resplendir la face
De ton fils Bien-Aimé
Ta douleur nous oppresse
Devant le Crucifié,
Tu mets nos cœurs en liesse:
Christ est ressuscité!
Messagère joyeuse
De la Sainte Cité,
Guide-nous, Bienheureuse,
Aux chemins de la Paix!
Refrain
Mother of Hope
Whose name is so sweet,
Madonna of childhood,
Abide with us! (bis)
You are indeed our Mother,
You who visited
ecstatic children
in their distant land
Your smile appears
In the starry night,
It always brings to life
The distraught hearts.
Teach us prayer,
Icon of beauty;
Isn’t God the Father,
All Love and Goodness?
Mother of all grace,
To the troubled universe,
Make the face
of your Beloved son shine .
Your pain oppresses us
Before the Crucified One,
You make our hearts jubilant:
Christ is risen!
Joyful Messenger
Of the Holy City,
Guide us, Blessed,
To the paths of Peace!
Mère de l’Espérance – Notre Dame de Pontmain 2014
Maîtrise St Léonard de Fougères – Mère de l’espérance:
In the Bretagne language
Our translation into English
References
- Our Lady of Hope, University of Daytone: https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/o/our-lady-of-hope.php
- 2013-9. Du cantique « Mère de l’Espérance » qui fut chanté au cours de l’apparition de la Très Sainte Vierge à Pontmain. https://www.riposte-catholique.fr/archives/91768
- Sanctuaire de Notre-Dame de Lourdes: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctuaire_de_Notre-Dame_de_Lourdes
