Ave Maris Stella is a plainsong

Plainsong

Plainsong is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Catholic Church. Though the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Catholic Church did not split until long after the origin of plainchant, Byzantine chants are generally not classified as plainsong.Plainsong is monophonic, consisting of a...

 Vespers

Vespers

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...

 hymn to Mary. It is of uncertain origin and can be dated back at least as far as the eighth century. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions. The creation of the original hymn has been attributed to several people, including Saint Venantius Fortunatus

Venantius Fortunatus

Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus was a Latin poet and hymnodist in the Merovingian Court, and a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. He was never canonised but was venerated as Saint Venantius Fortunatus during the Middle Ages.-Life:Venantius Fortunatus was born between 530 and 540 A.D....

  and Hermannus Contractus

Hermannus Contractus

Hermann of Reichenau , also called Hermannus Contractus or Hermannus Augiensis or Herman the Cripple, was an 11th century scholar, composer, music theorist, mathematician, and astronomer. He composed the Marian prayer Alma Redemptoris Mater...

. The melody is found in the Irish plainsong "Gabhaim Molta Bríde", a piece in praise of St. Bridget. The popular modern hymn Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star

Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star

"Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star" is a Marian hymn written by Father John Lingard , a Catholic priest and historian who, through the works of William Cobbett, helped to smooth the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act in England...

, is loosely based on this plainsong original.

It finds particular prominence in the "Way of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" by Saint Louis de Montfort

Louis de Montfort

St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....

.

Latin Lyrics

The Latin text of the hymn as authorized for use in the Liturgy of the Hours

Liturgy of the hours

The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...

 of the Roman Rite

Roman Rite

The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...

 (ordinary form) is the following:

Ave, maris stella, Dei mater alma, atque semper virgo, felix cœli porta.	Hail, star of the sea, Nurturing Mother of God, And ever Virgin Happy gate of Heaven.
Sumens illud «Ave» Gabrielis ore, funda nos in pace, mutans Evæ nomen.	Receiving that "Ave" (hail Hail Mary The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary... ) From the mouth of Gabriel, Establish us in peace, Transforming the name of "Eva" (Eve Adam and Eve Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews... ).
Solve vincla reis, profer lumen cæcis, mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce.	Loosen the chains of the guilty, Send forth light to the blind, Our evil do thou dispel, Entreat (for us) all good things.
Monstra te esse matrem, sumat per te precem qui pro nobis natus tulit esse tuus.	Show thyself to be a Mother: Through thee may he receive prayer Who, being born for us, Undertook to be thine own.
Virgo singularis, inter omnes mitis, nos culpis solutos mites fac et castos.	O unique Virgin, Meek above all others, Make us, set free from (our) sins, Meek and chaste.
Vitam præsta puram, iter para tutum, ut videntes Jesum semper collætemur.	Bestow a pure life, Prepare a safe way: That seeing Jesus, We may ever rejoice.
Sit laus Deo Patri, summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto honor, tribus unus. Amen.	Praise be to God the Father, To the Most High Christ (be) glory, To the Holy Spirit (Be) honour, to the Three equally. Amen.

Notable musical settings

The plainchant hymn has been developed by many composers from pre-baroque to the present day. The Roman Rite employs four different plainchant tunes for the Ave Maris Stella; the first three are designated for solemnities, feasts, and memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a fourth is given in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an alternative to the memorial tone. These plainchant tones have been used as the cantus firmus

Cantus firmus

In music, a cantus firmus is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition.The plural of this Latin term is , though the corrupt form canti firmi is also attested...

for some polyphonic settings of the mass, including those by Josquin and Victoria

Tomás Luis de Victoria

Tomás Luis de Victoria, sometimes Italianised as da Vittoria , was the most famous composer of the 16th century in Spain, and one of the most important composers of the Counter-Reformation, along with Giovanni da Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso. Victoria was not only a composer, but also an...

.

Renaissance settings include those by Felice Anerio

Felice Anerio

Felice Anerio was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras, and a member of the Roman School of composers. He was the older brother of another important, and somewhat more progressive composer of the same period, Giovanni Francesco Anerio.-Life:Anerio was born in Rome and...

, Palestrina

Palestrina

Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...

 and Byrd

Byrd

Byrd is a surname of English origin, and may refer to:*Bill Byrd , baseball player*Bobby Byrd, funk musician*Butch Byrd , AFL Hall of Fame...

. Baroque settings include Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610. Romantic settings include those by Dvorak

Dvorák

- Dvořák or Dvorak :* Ann Dvorak , American film actress* Antonín Dvořák , Czech composer of Romantic music* August Dvorak , American psychologist, co-creator of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard...

, Grieg, Liszt

Liszt

Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...

 and Dufay

Dufay

Dufay is the surname of* Charles François du Fay, French chemist* Guillaume Dufay, a Franco-Flemish composer and music theorist* Rick Dufay, a former guitarist with AerosmithDufay can also refer to...

. Modern composers who have either set the text or used the hymn as an inspiration include Grace Williams

Grace Williams

-Biography:Williams was born in Barry, near Cardiff, Wales.She was educated at Barry County School, and won a scholarship to Cardiff University . She then went to the Royal College of Music, London, where she was taught by Ralph Vaughan Williams...

, Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...

 and Trond Kverno

Trond Kverno

Trond Hans Farner Kverno is a contemporary Norwegian composer. He received degrees in church music, music theory and choir direction from the Oslo Conservatory of Music. He is very well known for his liturgical compositions....

.

Acadian Anthem

Ave Maris Stella is the anthem of the Acadians, a francophone

Francophone

The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....

 community in the Canadian Maritimes distinct from the French-Canadians of Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

. The Acadians were highly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, and had and still have a high degree of devotion to the Virgin Mary. As such, Acadia

Acadia

Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...

's symbols reflect its people's beliefs. This is particularly evident in their anthem which instead of being written in French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 is written in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

.

It was adopted as the anthem of the Acadian

Acadian

The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...

 people at the Second Acadian National Convention, held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island

Miscouche, Prince Edward Island

Miscouche is a Canadian rural community in Prince County, Prince Edward IslandIncorporated in 1957, Miscouche is located 6 miles west of the city of Summerside...

in 1884. To this day, it remains a source of Acadian patriotism.

The hymn was sung in its original version until French lyrics were finally composed in 1994. The French lyrics are attributed to Jacinthe Laforest, from Mont-Carmel, Prince Edward Island, who submitted her lyrics during a contest held throughout the Maritimes by the Société nationale de l'Acadie in search of French lyrics. Out of respect for the original hymn, the first verse in the Acadian national anthem remains in Latin.

These are the lyrics, in French. The first verse is in Latin, and is repeated at the end of the hymn.

Ave Maris Stella

Dei Mater Alma

Atque Semper Virgo

Felix Coeli Porta

Felix Coeli Porta

Acadie ma patrie

À ton nom je me lie

Ma vie, ma foi sont à toi

Tu me protégeras

Tu me protégeras

Acadie ma patrie

Ma terre et mon défi

De près, de loin tu me tiens

Mon cœur est acadien

Mon cœur est acadien

Acadie ma patrie

Ton histoire je la vis

La fierté je te la dois

En l'Avenir je crois

En l'Avenir je crois

Ave Maris Stella

Dei Mater Alma

Atque Semper Virgo

Felix Coeli Porta

Felix Coeli Porta

The Anthem in English

Called: Star of the Sea, we hail Thee

This is an English translation of the Acadian National Hymn.
The first verse and last verse are still in Latin:

Ave Maris Stella

Dei Mater Alma

Atque Semper Virgo

Felix Coeli Porta

Felix Coeli Porta

Acadia my homeland

To your name I draw myself

My life, my faith belong to you

You will protect me

You will protect me

Acadia my homeland

My land and my challenge

From near, from far you hold onto me

My heart is Acadian

My heart is Acadian

Acadia my homeland

I live your history

I owe you my pride

I believe in your future

I believe in your future

Ave Maris Stella

Dei Mater Alma

Atque Semper Virgo

Felix Coeli Porta

Felix Coeli Porta