Office canticles: Isaiah 62:4-7

The third canticle used for female saints, including Our Lady, is set out below.

Canticum Isaiae (62: 4-7)

Non vocáberis ultra Derelícta, * et terra tua non vocábitur ámplius Desoláta:	Thou shalt no more be called Forsaken: and thy land shall no more be called Desolate:
Sed vocáberis, Volúntas mea in ea, * et terra tua inhabitáta:	But thou shalt be called My pleasure in her, and thy land inhabited.
Quia complácuit Dómino in te: * et terra tua inhabitábitur.	Because the Lord hath been well pleased with thee: and thy land shall be inhabited.
Habitábit enim iúvenis cum vírgine, *et habitábunt in te fílii tui:	For the young man shall dwell with the virgin, and thy children shall dwell in thee.
Et gaudébit sponsus super sponsam, * et gaudébit super te Deus tuus.	And the bridegroom shall rejoice over the bride, and thy God shall rejoice over thee.
Super muros tuos, Ierúsalem, constítui custódes; * tota die et tota nocte in perpétuum non tacébunt.	Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen all the day, and all the night, they shall never hold their peace.
Qui reminiscímini Dómini, ne taceátis, † et ne detis siléntium ei, * donec stabíliat et donec ponat Ierúsalem laudem in terra.	You that are mindful of the Lord, hold not your peace, and give him no silence till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Office canticles: Isaiah 61-2

The second canticle used for feasts of Our Lady and other female saints is from Isaiah.

Canticum Isaiae (61:10-11; 62:1-3)

Gaudens gaudébo in Dómino, * et exsultábit ánima mea in Deo meo:	I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God:
Quia índuit me vestiméntis salútis, *et induménto iustítiæ circúmdedit me,	For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice he hath covered me,
Quasi sponsum decorátum coróna, * et quasi sponsam ornátam monílibus suis.	As a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her jewels.
Sicut enim terra profert germen suum, † et sicut hortus semen suum gérminat, * sic Dóminus Deus germinábit iustítiam et laudem coram univérsis géntibus.	For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth her seed to shoot forth: so shall the Lord God make justice to spring forth, and praise before all the nations.
Propter Sion non tacébo, et propter Ierúsalem non quiéscam, † donec egrediátur ut splendor iustus eius, * et salvátor eius ut lampas accendátur.	For Sion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not rest till her just one come forth as brightness, and her saviour be lighted as a lamp.
Et vidébunt gentes iustum tuum, * et cuncti reges ínclitum tuum;	And the Gentiles shall see thy just one, and all kings thy glorious one:
Et vocábitur tibi nomen novum, * quod os Dómini nominábit.	And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
Et eris coróna glóriæ in manu Dómini, et diadéma regni in manu Dei tui.	And thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle for Our Lady: Sirach 39:17-21

la Vierge au buisson de roses Schongauer,
Gardner Museum

Over the last few Sundays I've been looking at the canticle used at Matins in the Benedictine Office.

Today being the feast of the Purification, the 1962 Monastic Breviary specifies the use of the Common of Our Lady.

Accordingly, the three canticles of the day are Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 39:17-21; Isaiah 61:1011, 62:1-3; and Isaiah 62:4-7.

Here is the text of the first one, from Sirach, with versification as used in the liturgy.

Common of Our Lady Canticle 1: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 39:17-21

Canticum Ecclesiastici (39:17-21)

Obaudíte me, divíni fructus, * et quasi rosa plantáta super rivos aquárum fructificáte.	Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters.
Quasi Líbanus * odórem suavitátis habéte.	Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense.
Floréte flores, quasi lílium, et date odórem, † et frondéte in grátiam; et collaudáte cánticum, * et benedícite Dóminum in opéribus suis.	Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works.
Date nómini eius magnificéntiam, † et confitémini illi in voce labiórum vestrórum, * et in cánticis labiórum, et cítharis;	Magnify his name, and give glory to him with the voice of your lips, and with the canticles of your mouths, and with harps;
Et sic dicétis in confessióne: * Opera Dómini univérsa bona valde.	And in praising him, you shall say in this manner: All the works of the Lord are exceeding good.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The imagery of roses and lilies (verses 1-3) have long been associated with Our Lady in iconography, presenting Our Lady as the fulfillment of this injunction.  Verses 4-5 clearly presage the Magnificat.

More generally, these verses can perhaps be seen as a call to imitate Our Lady in holiness and thanksgiving to God for his works of creation and salvation, hence its use for female saints more generally. Challoner for example comments that: "He speaks to the children of Israel, the people of God: whom he exhorts to bud forth and flourish with virtue."