Stabat Mater

by Lope de Vega

Translated from the Spanish by Roberto Hope Sánchez Mejorada

The devoted Mother lingered 

next to the cross, and she wept

while the Son from it suspended.

While her soul, sad and in tears,

a piercing and excruciating

ferocious dagger was suffering.

Oh, how sad and how afflicted

the blessed Mother found herself

of so many torments burdened!

As she, saddened, beheld

and sorrowful contemplated

of her beloved Son the pain.

What kind of man would not cry

if he the Mother of Christ 

saw in such terrible pain?

Who would not be greatly saddened,

merciful Mother, if he saw you to such

great harshess subjected?

For all the sins of the world,

the sweet Mother saw her Jesus 

in such unfathomable torment.

She saw her beloved Son die

who, forsaken, had surrendered 

His own spirit to His Father

Oh, sweetest fountain of love!

make me experience your pain 

so that with you I shed tears.

And that, for my beloved Christ

may my heart be set in fire

and live more with Him than in me

So that to love Him I´m moved

please inside my heart do press 

the scars that He had in His.

And of thy Son, my lady,

please divide now with me

those he suffered for my sins.

Make me that I weep with you 

and to truly feel the pain

of His wounds while I´m alive.

Because to accompany I wish,

in the cross where I see Him,

your most compassionate heart.

Virgin of the holy virgins!

may I weep with so much longing

that the tears be sweet to me

So that His passion and death

always in my soul I keep

in a way such that His pains I can continually see.

Make me of his cross fall in love

make me live and dwell in it 

of my faith and love be it signal.

So that it inflames and lights me

and that with you it defends me

on the day of my last judgement

Make the death of Christ protect me

when to a trial so grave 

my life and soul be subjected.

So that when under the soil 

mi body finally rests,

may to its eternal glory my soul finally go.

Amen