Queen of Redemption, watching silently
The sleeping Infant, swathed upon thy knee:
Thee, Woman born to change man's destiny,
To rise victorious o'er his enemy,
Have types proclaimed through all earth's history.
The Second Eve art thou, ordained to be
Mistress of Life and Immortality:
The First beguiled and overcome was she
Whose ear betrayed the race to slavery,
While thine, O Faithful Virgin, set it free.
The encamped hosts of Canaan were for thee
The forecast of Satanic tyranny:
Lo, the victorious Jael shadowed thee,
When, in the might of faith, all stealthily
She struck the nail and slew the enemy.
The Syrian King, the Lord of Nineveh,
Sending his armies into Galilee
With impious oath, finds naught but infamy:
Lo, Holofernes yields his head to thee,
Most valiant Judith, clothed with chastity.
And what of Esther? Highly favoured she,
Raised to the summit of earth's dignity,
Who meekly prayed and fasted, so that she
The saviour of a people doomed might be -
The winner of her Lord's high clemency.
Forerunners were they of thy dignity:
The Virgin saves the virgin's destiny:
By fortitude she slays the enemy:
His head by Woman's foot is crushed; yea, see,
With God the Woman pleads, and we are free.
O Woman blest beyond all women, we
Rejoice and sing for this our Lord's decree
Who gave to woman such high dignity:
Strong in thy strength, O Virgin, may we be
Under thy banner led to victory.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote