O admirabile commercium

General information

First antiphon at Vespers of the Octave of Christmas.

Settings by composers

Anonymous STTB Girolamo Belli SATTBB William Byrd AATB Loyset Compère SATB Fabio Costantini SATB Ignazio Donati S & bc Melchior Franck SSAATTBB Jacob Handl SSAA.TTBB Hans Leo Hassler SATTBB Fernando de las Infantas SSAAT or AATTB

Josquin des Prez SATB or ATTB Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATTB Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATB.SATB Johannes Regis SATTB Jacob Regnart SATTB Teodoro Riccio SATTB Johann Rosenmüller AA & 4 viols or trombones Thomas Stoltzer SSATB Giovanni Maria Trabaci SATTB

Text and translations

Latin text O admirabile commercium! Creator generis humani, animatum corpus sumens, de Virgine nasci dignatus est: et procedens homo sine semine, largitus est nobis suam Deitatem.   German translation O wunderbarer Tausch! Der den Menschen erschuf, nimmt menschliches Leben an und wird aus der Jungfrau geboren. Von keinem Mann gezeugt, kommt er in die Welt und schenkt uns sein göttliches Leben.

English translation O admirable exchange: the creator of human-kind, taking on a living body was worthy to be born of a virgin, and, coming forth as a human without seed, has given us his deity in abundance. Common Poetic Translation: O wonderful gift: the creator of the human race, taking our flesh upon him, deigns to be born of a virgin; and, coming forth without seed of man, bestows his Divinity upon us. Another translation O wondrous exchange: the Creator of humankind, taking upon him a living body, vouchsafed to be born of a Virgin and, without seed, becoming a man, hath made us partakers of his Divinity.