Requiem
William Harper
Translations of the Texts
At the door of the church, the priest sprinkles the body with holy water, then recites:
I. Psalm 130: De Profundis
[Repeated Phrase (Antiphon):
Out of the depths I have called to thee, O Lord; Lord hear my cry.]
Out of the depths I have called to thee,
O Lord; Lord hear my cry.
Let your ears hear my plea for mercy.
If you were to keep account of everyone's sins,
Who, Lord, could hold up their heads?
But you are forgiving and therefore we revere you.
I wait for the Lord with all my soul,
I hope for the fulfillment of his word.
My soul waits for the Lord more eagerly than the
watchmen watch for the morning light.
Look for the Lord, Israel.
For in the Lord is love unfailing,
and great is his power to set us free.
Only he will set Israel free from all their sins.
The body is brought, in procession, to the front of the church.
II. Psalm 51: Miserere mei Deus.
[Repeated Phrase (Antiphon):
Let these bones which you have broken dance and rejoice.]
Be gracious to me God in your true love,
In the fullness of your mercy erase my sins.
Wash away all my guilt and cleanse me of sin.
I know my sins well and my sins confront me every day.
Against you and only you I have sinned and I have displeased you
so you are right in your charges and just in passing sentence.
In iniquity I was brought to birth
And my mother conceived me in sin
and though you have concealed the truth in darkness,
it is this mystery which brings me wisdom.
Sprinkle me with hyssop and marjoram,
Wash me whiter than than the snow,
let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness,
Let these bones which you have broken dance and rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins and blot out my guilt.
Create a pure heart in me, God,
and give me a new and steadfast spirit;
do not drive me from your presence or
take the Holy Spirit away from me;
Rekindle in me the joy of deliverance
and give me a spirit able to carry me.
I will teach transgressors the paths that lead to you,
and the sinners will return to you.
God deliver me from bloodshed and
I will sing the praises of your justice.
Open my lips, Lord, that I might sing your praise.
You don’t relish sacrifice;
If I brought you an offering you would not accept it.
My sacrifice is a broken spirit; a wounded heart.
Don’t despise me, God.
Let it be your pleasure to do good to Zion,
to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Only then will you enjoy the appropriate sacrifices,
then we will bring young bulls to your altar.
When the procession is finished the Priest sings the following and begins the Mass:
III. Subvenite Sancti Dei
Help her, Saints of God.
Meet her, Angels of the Lord.
Receive her soul and present it to the Highest.
May Christ, who called you, receive you,
and may the Angels carry you to the bosom of Abraham.
Receive her soul and present it to the Highest.
Requiem Aeternam
Give them eternal rest, God.
Let your eternal light shine on them.
IV. Tract: Absolve, Domine
Free, God, the souls of the faithful dead from the bonds of sin.
By your grace may they escape your avenging judgment
and forever enjoy the light which is you.
V. Kyrie
Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
VI. Sequence: Dies Irae (C.1250 AD)
Day of wrath, day of ire, when the earth dissolves in fire,
according to the witness of David with Sybil.
What trembling is to come when the Judge arrives,
all things will be strictly examined.
The trumpet flinging the wonderful sound over the graves of the land,
will gather everyone before the throne.
Death and Nature are amazed as creation rises again,
at the command of the Judge.
The book is brought forth in which everything is contained,
from which the world will be judged.
When the Judge is seated, everything that is secret will appear,
nothing will go unpunished.
What, then, am I, a miserable man, to say? With what patron can I plead?
When a just man is hardly secure.
O King of tremendous majesty, Who freely saves those who are being saved, save me!
Remember, sweet Jesus, that you came to earth for me.
Do not forget me on that day!
Seeking me, You were pleased to weary yourself. You freed me,
suffering on the cross. Don’t let these efforts be in vain!
O righteous Judge of vengeance, grant the gift of forgiveness
on the day of reckoning.
I groan, like a criminal; my face blushes from my sin;
spare, O God, this suppliant!
You who have absolved Mary and listened to the thief,
You have given me hope too.
My prayers are not worthy, but you are good.
Act kindly: don’t let me burn in the everlasting fire.
Grant a place for me among the sheep, and separate me from the goats,
standing at your right side.
With those who are cursed in silence and those who are doomed in piercing flames, call me with the blessed.
Bowing I pray on my knees, my heart is broken as if it were ashes:
finish the cure of my death!
That day will be full of tears which will rises from the ashes.
People must be judged as criminals: spare them, O God!
Sweet Jesus, Lord, give them rest.
VII. Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are they that come in the name of the Lord.
VIII. Agnus Dei
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world give them rest.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world give them rest.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world give them rest.
Eternal light and rest.
The choir sings the following as the body is being taken out of the church.
IX. In Paradisum
May the angels lead you into Paradise:
May the Martyrs receive you as you arrive
and take you into the Holy city of Jerusalem.
May the choirs of Angels receive you.
and may you, with the once poor Lazarus, have eternal rest.
© Translation 1998 William Harper All Rights reserved
