Dies Irae

I learnt about Gregorian chants about 25 years ago, when a friend explained to me the development of western classical music.

I bought an album and when I heard these chants in Latin, they conveyed to me the tender intensity of the faith of the earliest followers of the Jesus Christ.

ComplineNYC is a group that uses the art of Gregorian chant for the purpose it was originally created for, meditation.

Here's Dies Irae. This sequence (poem, song) was written sometime in the 3rd or 4th century. The Catholic Church considers this sublime chant sequence one of her greatest treasures. It is traditionally sung during a Solemn (High) Requiem Mass.

The Dies Irae is a beautiful prayer that meditates on our death, and the Final Judgment. Each funeral Mass attended by believers was intended to spiritually benefit them, by making them consider that they too shall die. As the saints repeated constantly, "consider thy last end, and thou shalt never sin."

In the traditional, reverent, somber funeral Mass, everyone present prayed for the departed soul.



Dies irae, dies illa,
Solvet saeclum in favilla:
Teste David cum Sibylla.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando iudex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Iudicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus iudicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit:
Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus?
Cum vix iustus sit securus.

Rex tremendae maiestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.

Recordare Iesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae:
Ne me perdas illa die.

Quaerens me, sedisti lassus:
Redemisti crucem passus:
Tantus labor non sit cassus.

Iuste Iudex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis,
Ante diem rationis.

Ingemisco, tamquam reus:
Culpa rubet vultus meus:
Supplicanti parce Deus.

Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem didisti.

Preces meae non sunt dignae:
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.

Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab haedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.

Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis:
Gere curam mei finis.

Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus:
Huic ergo parce Deus.

Pie Iesu Domine,
dona eis requiem. Amen.