The following are the texts that have been set to music. Note that the
Libera Me and the
In Paradisum are not part of the text of the Catholic Mass for the Dead itself, but a part of the burial rite that immediately follows.
In Paradisum was traditionally said or sung as the body left the church, and the
Libera Me is said/sung at the burial site before interment. These became included in musical settings of the Requiem in the 19th century as composers began to treat the form more liberally.
Introit From
4 Esdras 2:34–35;
Psalm 65:1-2 ::
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: ::
et lux perpetua luceat eis. ::
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, ::
et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem: ::
exaudi orationem meam, ::
ad te omnis caro veniet. ::
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: ::
et lux perpetua luceat eis. :::Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine upon them. :::A hymn, O God, becometh Thee in
Zion; :::and a vow shall be paid to Thee in
Jerusalem: :::hear my prayer; :::all flesh shall come to Thee. :::Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Kyrie eleison This is as the
Kyrie in the Ordinary of the
Mass: ::
Kyrie, eleison. ::
Christe, eleison. ::
Kyrie, eleison. :::Lord, have mercy. :::Christ, have mercy. :::Lord, have mercy. This is
Greek (Κύριε ἐλέησον, Χριστὲ ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον). Each utterance is sung three times, though sometimes that is not the case when sung polyphonically.
Gradual From 4 Esdras 2:34–35;
Psalm 112:6 ::
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: ::
et lux perpetua luceat eis. ::
In memoria æterna erit iustus: ::
ab auditione mala non timebit. :::Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord; :::and let perpetual light shine upon them. :::The just shall be in everlasting remembrance; :::he shall not fear the evil hearing.
Tract ::
Absolve, Domine, ::
animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ::
ab omni vinculo delictorum. ::
Et gratia tua illis succurrente, ::
mereantur evadere iudicium ultionis. ::
Et lucis æternae beatitudine perfrui. :::Absolve, O Lord, :::the souls of all the faithful departed :::from every bond of sin. :::And by the help of Thy grace :::may they be enabled to escape the avenging judgment. :::And enjoy the bliss of everlasting light.
Sequence A
sequence is a liturgical poem sung, when used, after the Tract (or Alleluia, if present). The sequence employed in the Requiem,
Dies irae, attributed to
Thomas of Celano (c. 1200 – c. 1260–1270), has been called "the greatest of hymns", worthy of "supreme admiration". The Latin text is included in the Requiem Mass in the
1962 Roman Missal. An early English version was translated by
William Josiah Irons in 1849.
Offertory ::
Domine Iesu Christe, Rex gloriæ, ::
libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ::
de pœnis inferni et de profundo lacu: ::
libera eas de ore leonis, ::
ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ::
ne cadant in obscurum: ::
sed signifer sanctus Michael ::
repræsentet eas in lucem sanctam: ::
Quam olim Abrahæ promisisti, et semini eius. :::Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, :::deliver the souls of all the faithful departed :::from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit: :::deliver them from the lion's mouth, :::that
Tartarus swallow them not up, :::that they fall not into darkness, :::but let the standard-bearer holy
Michael :::lead them into that holy light: :::Which Thou didst promise of old to
Abraham and to his seed. ::
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, ::
laudis offerimus: ::
tu suscipe pro animabus illis, ::
quarum hodie memoriam facimus: ::
fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam. ::
Quam olim Abrahæ promisisti, et semini eius. :::We offer to Thee, O Lord, :::sacrifices and prayers: :::do Thou receive them in behalf of those souls :::of whom we make memorial this day. :::Grant them, O Lord, to pass from death to that life, :::Which Thou didst promise of old to Abraham and to his seed.
Sanctus This is as the
Sanctus prayer in the Ordinary of the
Mass: ::
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus ::
Dominus Deus Sabaoth. ::
Pleni sunt cæli et terra gloria tua. ::
Hosanna in excelsis. ::
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. ::
Hosanna in excelsis. :::Holy, holy, holy, :::Lord God of Hosts. :::Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. :::Hosanna in the highest. :::Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord. :::Hosanna in the highest.
Agnus Dei This is as the
Agnus Dei in the Ordinary of the
Mass, but with the petitions
miserere nobis changed to
dona eis requiem, and
dona nobis pacem to
dona eis requiem sempiternam:
Lux æterna ::
Lux æterna luceat eis, Domine: ::
Cum Sanctis tuis in æternum: ::
quia pius es. ::
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: ::
et lux perpetua luceat eis. ::
Cum Sanctis tuis in æternum: ::
quia pius es. :::May light eternal shine upon them, O Lord, :::with Thy
Saints for evermore: :::for Thou art gracious. :::Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine upon them: :::With Thy
Saints for evermore, :::for Thou art gracious. As mentioned above, there is no
Gloria,
Alleluia or Credo in these musical settings.
Pie Jesu Some text extracts have been set to music independently, such as the
Pie Jesu in the settings of Fauré (1880s), Dvořák (1890s), Duruflé (1940s) and
Rutter (later).
Pie Jesu are late words in the
Dies irae and they are followed by the final words of the
Agnus Dei: ::
Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. ::
Dona eis requiem sempiternam. ::: Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them rest; ::: grant them eternal rest. Settings sometimes include passages from the "Absolution at the bier" (
Absolutio ad feretrum) or "Commendation of the dead person" (referred to also as the
Absolution of the dead), which in the case of a funeral, follows the conclusion of the Mass.
Libera me ::
Libera me, Domine, de morte æterna, in die illa tremenda: ::
Quando cæli movendi sunt et terra: ::
Dum veneris iudicare sæculum per ignem. ::
Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo, dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira. ::
Quando cæli movendi sunt et terra. ::
Dies illa, dies iræ, calamitatis et miseriæ, dies magna et amara valde. ::
Dum veneris iudicare sæculum per ignem. ::
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. ::: Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal in
that awful day. ::: When the heavens and the earth shall be moved: ::: When Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. ::: Dread and trembling have laid hold on me, and I fear exceedingly because of the judgment and of the wrath to come. ::: When the heavens and the earth shall be moved. ::: O that day, that day of wrath, of sore distress and of all wretchedness, that great day and exceeding bitter. ::: When Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. ::: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
In paradisum ::
In paradisum deducant te Angeli: ::
in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, ::
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. ::
Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, ::
et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem. ::: May the Angels lead thee into paradise: ::: may the Martyrs receive thee at thy coming, ::: and lead thee into the holy city of Jerusalem. ::: May the choir of Angels receive thee, ::: and with
Lazarus, who once was poor, mayest thou have eternal rest. ==History of musical compositions==