Mother of God, all hail: all hail, to thee,
Crown of our veneration: hail, to thee.
Who to the universe entire shalt be
Light unextinguished. Praise, all praise, to thee,
Sceptre of Truth, Crown of Virginity.
Hail, Temple indestructible, in thee
Is found the Abode of Him, whom, verily,
No place can circumscribe: all hail, to thee.
To thee, by whom the Holy Trinity
Adored and worshipped is - all hail, to thee.
By whom the heavens exult and devils flee:
Through whom Archangels sing for jubilee:
By whom the Tempter is hurled back, to be
Driven into blackness of obscurity:
Through whom his victim finds that he is free.
By whom the chains of dark idolatry
Are broken in creation: by whom we
The knowledge of all truth receive, and be
Received, through Sacramental Mystery,
Into a close relationship with thee.
By whom hath come, in our Humanity,
The Son of God, our Light of Light to be;
Who taught the Prophets in the past, to see;
By whom Apostles preached; by whom Kings be
Acknowledged - in the Holy Trinity.
Oh, who may reckon all the Gifts that be
Showered on thy gracious Person? Verily,
Gaze I with awe and wonder as in thee
I penetrate the Holy Mystery,
Conceived and understood alone by thee.
Oh, Virgin's womb: oh, miracle: oh, see
The Virgin and the Mother. Who shall be
Sufficient for these things? Contained I see
The Immense, the Inconceivable, in thee.
Mother of God, all hail, all hail, to thee.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote