There is a striking similarity between Marian devotional songs and secular love songs of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Two disparate genres--one sacred, the other secular; one Latin, the other vernacular--both praise an idealized, impossibly virtuous woman. Each does so through highly stylized derivations of traditional medieval song forms--Marian prayer derived from earlier Gregorian chant, and love songs and lyrics from medieval courtly song. Yet despite their obvious similarities, the two musical and poetic traditions have rarely been studied together. Author David J. Rothenberg takes on this task with remarkable success, producing a useful and broad introduction to Marian music and liturgy, and then coupling that with an incisive comparative analysis of these devotional forms and the words and music of secular love songs of the period. The Flower of Paradise examines the interplay of Marian devotional and secular poetics within polyphonic music from ca. 1200 to ca. 1500. Through case studies of works that demonstrate a specific symbolic resonance between Marian devotion and secular song, the book illustrates the distinctive ethos of this period in European culture. Rothenberg makes use of an impressive command of liturgical and religious studies, literature and poetry, and art history to craft a study with wide application across disciplinary boundaries. With its broad scope and unique, incisive analysis, this book will open up new ways of thinking about the history and development of secular and sacred music and the Marian tradition for scholars, students, and anyone with an interest in medieval and Renaissance religious culture.

Mystic Songs Of Meera Presents (Probably For The First Time) The Original Text In Devanagari, Side With English Translation Of 101 Songs Of Meera, The Mystic Saint Of Rajasthan Who Lived In The 15Th 16Th Century A.D. Birdal Mysticism Marked Meera S Spiritual Approach To God. Krishna, Whom She Endearingly Called Giridhar, The Lord Who Upheld The Mountain, Was Her Beloved, And She Expressed The Imagery Of Human Love To Delineate The Agony Of Separation From Him And The Intense Desire To Be United With Him.Childlike Simplicity, Deep Devotion, Intense Spiritual Yearning And Soulful Poetry Make The God-Oriented Songs Of Meera A National Heritage Of India, Transcending Regional, Lingual And Time Barriers.This Volume Should Prove Useful To All Those Interested In The Spiritual Heritage Of India, Especially The Life And Work Of The Mystics Of India, Whose Devotional Lyrics Can Be Savoured As Spiritual Nectar, By All.The Raga (Melody) In Which Each Songs Is To Be Sung Has Been Given For The Benefit Of Musicians, Choreographers Etc.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

God's Creative Gift is an in-depth study for the creative Christian. It is intended for both professional and lay artists, for the casual crafter and hobbyist, and for those in both sacred and secular settings. It is for those who see things where others do not and for those whose imaginations cannot be confined by religious dogma and tradition. It is for musicians, singers, painters, sculptors, dancers, dramatists, writers, poets, carvers, weavers, film editors, photographers, filmmakers, architects, designers--anyone who finds inspiration in creativity. Focusing on the creative spirit within, it is designed to help you draw your inspiration from a Deeper Source. It is deeply rooted in Scripture--for the creative Christian must enter into the Word of God on a regular basis in order to know the choreographer of her steps, the crafter of her designs, the author and perfecter of her faith, and the sculptor of her creative heart, soul, mind, and body. And to know Him intimately.