Ave Maria Translation

Ave Maria, or Ellens dritter Gesang (in German), was actually composed by Franz Schubert in 1825. What's interesting is that most people associate the music with the Roman Catholic prayer, but this was not the original purpose of the song.

Instead, the music was composed for the poem Lady of the Lake written by a man by the name of Walter Scott. The music was specifically used as a setting of a song from the poem.

The reason for the confusion is al in the first line of the music, as it begins with Ave Maria or Hail Mary, which is the name of the Catholic prayer. What's interesting, though, and I didn't know this before researching this song, is that the words to the Catholic prayer are oftentimes put to the melody for the Ave Maria composed by Schubert himself!

Meaning that not only is the song misidentified as being an ode to the prayer, sometimes the actual words of the prayer are substituted in place of the original words.

How's that for making everything confusing?

Oh, yeah, and one more thing for all you fans of Walt Disney's Fantasia. If you remember, the Ave Maria tune is actually used within the movie, but listen to the words next time; the words are different than both the original words used by Schubert, and are also not the words to the prayer! They're completely different.

Here are two different English versions of the music. The first version is a translation of Schubert's original that was written for the poem Lady of the Lake. The second English version below that is actually the Roman Catholic prayer. It's interesting to note how the two versions differ, while keeping in mind that they are often set to the same music when sung.

Translation of the Original

Ave Maria! Maiden mild,
Heed your children's prayers,
In the valley of tears, be our shield
Let my prayer waft to you.
We sleep safely until morning,
Your cloak of stars covers us.
O Maiden, see our worries,
O give peace to our hearts!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria! Pure maidservant!
We want to trust in you faithfully
You, sweet maiden, undaunted
Full of hope, to you gaze upward,
And calmly bend God's Will to us,
That your holy solace may drift to us.
O Maiden, full of grace, tend to us
The child, that suppliantly entreats you.
Ave Maria!

English Version of Prayer

Ave Maria, full of grace,
Maria, full of grace,
Maria, full of grace,
Hail, Hail, the Lord
The Lord is with you.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed,
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Thy womb, Jesus.
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Pray, pray for us;
Pray for us sinners,
Now, and at the hour of our death,
The hour of our death.
The hour, the hour of our death,
The hour of our death.
Ave Maria!