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I have long been one of the greatest admirers of Mozart's "Requiem". Though I was entranced and often in awe of Mozart's amazing and limitless genius, I was even more astonished this was the work of a man on his deathbed! Sadly I knew that I could never produce anything half as beautiful as in a single passage of that magnificent piece, not even in my most sweeping descriptions or most inspired poetry. Still, amid this remarkable beauty there was a great longing and sadness, even more so because Mozart knew of his impending death.
It has been my greatest disappointment (and own personal longing) in this masterpiece that he was not granted the time to finish the work. What bothered me the most was that nobody had ever written an entire piece, dedicated in his honor, to the "Requiem" and all the joy, sadness, and divine inspiration they felt flowing from the music. It was around this time that I decided to write a poem not only in honor of the "Requiem", but Mozart and his crowning achievement. Along the way I had a slue of "universal" poetical themes naturally springing up which are the backbone of religion: the tragedy of death, humanity's sorrow, deliverance from death's shadow, rejuvenation in the Eternal.
Being a superstitious fool, I wanted to write the poem under similar circumstances to Mozart (minus the fatal illness, luckily). I bought a genuine quill pen with a jar of black ink. I began writing it in early September, about the same time Mozart was commissioned for the "Requiem". Since I was healthy, however, I managed to finish the "Requiem" much more quickly, in about three days. I officially finished revisions and wrote up the poem on the computer and signed my dedication to Mozart on December 5th: 205 years after his death.
Copyright 1996 by K.A. Schure
- Introitus - Requiem Aeternum - Rest eternal
- Kyrie Eleison - Have mercy
- Dies Irae
- Dies Irae - Day of wrath
- Tuba mirum - Hark the trumpet
- Liber scriptus - Now the record
- Quid sum miser - What affliction
- Rex tremendae - King of Glories
- Recordare - Ah! remember
- Ingemisco - Sadly groaning
- Confutatis - From the accursed
- Lacrimosa - Ah! what weeping
- Offertorium
- Sanctus
- Benedictus
- Agnus Dei
- Communion: Lux Aeternae
- Responsory: Libera me
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Requiem Aeternum
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
Et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem
Exaudi orationem meam
Ad te omnis caro veniet.
Requiem aeternam dona defunctis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
Et lux perpetua eis.
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Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie, eleison!
Christe, eleison!
Kyrie, eleison!
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Dies Irae
Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.
Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit.
Nil inultum remanebit.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus,
Cum vix justus sit securus?
Rex tremendae majestatus
qui salvandos salvas gratis
sale me, fons pietatis
Recordare, Jesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae:
Ne me perdas illa die.
Quaerens me, sedisti, lassus;
Redemisti crucem passus;
Tantus labor non sit cassus.
Juste Judex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis
Ante diem rationis.
Ingemisco tanquam reus,
Culpa rubet vultus meus;
Supplicanti parce, Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces meae non sunt dignae,
Sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab hoedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.
Confutatis maledictis
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictus.
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 Jesu Domine:
Dona eis requiem. Amen.
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Domine Jesu (Offertorium)
Domine, Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae,
libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
de poenis inferni
et de profundo lacu.
Libera eas de ore leonis
ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
ne cadant in obscurum;
Sed signifer sanctus Michael
repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam,
Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini eius.
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 Abrahae promisisti
et semine eius.
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Sanctus
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
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Benedictus
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine.
Hosanna in excelsis!
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Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis pecatta mundi
dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem sempitername.
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Lux aeternum
Lux aeterna luceat eis Domine
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum:
quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum:
quia pius es.
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Libera Me
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna
in die illa tremenda
quando coeli movendi sunt et terra,
dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
Tremens factus sum ego et timeo,
dum discussion venerit atque venture ira:
quando coeli movendi sunt et terra. |
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