Spiritual Songs to the Mother of God
Devotional hymns to the most holy Virgin Mary have always been popular among the Christians of the Carpathian Mountains, and they added hymns from other peoples as well, singing them on pilgrimages to shrines in her honor. Many of these songs make use of both her theological titles (Bohorodice - Theotokos in Greek - meaning "the one who gave birth to God"; Prečistaja D'ivo, "Most pure virgin") and her devotional title (Mati Boža, "Mother of God"). Much more so than does the Church's liturgy, these hymns invoke her also by name - Marije, or Mary.
Twenty-eight of these songs appeared in English and Slavonic in the Marian Hymnal (1984), published by the Byzantine Seminary Press.
- Anhel Božij vozvistil t'a - When the angel came (Annunciation, March 25; Dormition, August 15)
- Bohomati D'ivo
- Bohorodice D'ivo
- Bohorodice D'ivo - O Theotokos Virgin
- Bohorodice, virnych oborono
- Boža Mati, čista D'ivo
- Božaja Mati, čista D'ivice - Purest of virgins
- Christijane pribihajte - Christians, join in our procession
- Christijane, proslavl'ajme - All the faithful come before you
- D'ivo Mati preblahaja - O Virgin Mary, most kind Mother
- D'ivo Mati zastupaj nas, O Marije - Virgin Mother, Intercessor
- K Tebi pribihajem
- Ko Tvojej svjatoj ikoňi - 'Neath your holy icon kneeling - Under your holy icon
- Likuj, Presvjataja - Immaculate Mary
- Mati Carja Christa
- Mati svita - Mother of all people
- Molime T'a, D'ivo, hrišňiji serdečno - We implore you, Virgin
- My do Tebe, Boža Mati
- My sobi vybrali za ochranu
- O Bohorodice, D'ivo Marije - O Virgin Mary, Mother of God
- O Marije, divna Tvoja tajna
- O Marije, Mati Boža, prečista - O Mary, Mother of our God
- O Marije, Mati Boža, zhl'aňsja
- O Marije, Mati Božaja
- O Marije, Mati vsich - Mary, Mother to us all
- O Mati Božaja
- O Presvjata D'ivo Mati
- O presvjataja Carice
- O, spomahaj nas
- O Vsepitaja Mati
- Palomniki Uniontowns'ki - Come to Uniontown
- Pod tvoj pokrov pribihajem - We hasten to your patronage (Protection, October 1)
- Pod tvoju milost' - Beneath your compassion
- Prečistaja D'ivo, Mati našoho kraju - O Mother most pure, we give praise to you - Purest Mother
- Preneporočna Marije
- Preslavnaja prisnod'ivo Marije - O most glorious ever-virgin Mary
- Presvjata Divo, svitla Zornice
- Presvjata naša Carice
- Pribihajem k Tebi - We come to you in prayer
- Prizri, O Marije - Mary, look upon us
- Prosime T'a, D'ivo, hrišňiji userdno - From our hearts we sinner
- Prosime T'a, D'ivo, šlem do Tebe hlas - Virgin, we beseech you
- Rad'ij nyňi Mati Boža
- Radujsja, Carice - Rejoice, O purest Queen
- Radujsja Carice, prekrasna D'ivice - Beautiful holy Queen
- Ščaslivyj, koho zastupaje
- Tam hde v nebi - Where our Mother reigns in heaven
- Ty bo naša Carica
- Ty, Marije, naša Panna - You, O Mary, our dear Lady
- Veselisja vo čistot'i - Rejoice, O purest Mother (Dormition, August 15)
- Vostrubite, voskliknite - Sound the trumpet
Recommended reading
- Spiritual songs according to the Carpath-Ruthenian Tradition. Byzantine Leaflet Series, No. 28. (Pittsburgh: Byzantine Seminary Press, 1983).
- Devotion of Byzantine Catholics to the Mother of God. Byzantine Leaflet Series, No. 1. (Pittsburgh: Byzantine Seminary Press, 1975).