O Sanctissima
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"O Sanctissima" is a Roman Catholic hymn in Latin to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is claimed that the tune of the hymn is Sicilian. The tune is sometimes called "Sicilian Mariners Hymn" or "Mariners Hymn".
O sanctissima, o piissima |
O most holy, O most loving, |
It has also been made into a Christmas carol with English words not relating to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but rather to Jesus himself and his day of birth:
O thou happy, O thou holy
Glorious peace bringing Christmas time
Angel throngs to meet thee
On Thy birth we greet Thee
Hail to Christ, the Son of God, our newborn king
Or, in another English-language rendition:
Oh, how joyfully; Oh, how merrily
Christmas comes with its grace divine
Grace again is beaming
Christ the world redeeming;
Hail, ye Christians,
Hail the joyous Christmas time
The German version ("O du fröhliche") is a well-known Christmas carol.
In the Spanish language the Christmas carol version begins—O Santisimo, felicisimo.
The Czech version is a Marian song “Matko přesvatá” (Nr. 808 in Catholic Kancionál from publisher Zvon, 1993f.).
This tune is also used for the hymn—Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing.
The Latin version is not typically heard at Christmas, but more often sung in Catholic churches on Marian feast days.
It is sometimes claimed that the tune is the source of the song "We Shall Overcome". (Tindley).