Dies iræ, dies illa

For Second Advent

Words: "Dies iræ, dies illa," Thomas de Celano, 13^th Century, friend and biographer of St. Francis Assisi.

Music: "Dies iræ, dies illa," John B. Dykes, 1823-1876
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Meter: Irregular

Source: J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #39, p. 56

1. Dies iræ, dies illa,
Solvet sæclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.

2. Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quandò Judex est venturus,
Cuncta strictè discussurus!

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

4. Mors stupebit, et natura,
Cùm resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.

5. Liber seriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Undè mundus judicetus.

6. Judex ergò cùm sedebit,
Quidquid latet, apparebit:
Nîl inultum remanebit.

7. Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus?
Cùm vix justus sit securus.

8. Rex tremendæ majestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratìs,
Salva me, fons pietatis!

9. Recordare, Jesu pie,
Quòd sum causa tuæ víæ;
Ne me perdis illâ die!

10. Quærens me, sedisti lassus:
Redemisti, crucem passus;
Tantus labor non sit cassus.

11. Juste Judex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis
Ante diem rationis.

12. Ingemisco tanquàm reus:
Culpâ rubet vultus meus:
Supplicanti parce, Deus.

13. Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.

14. Preces maæ non sunt dignæ:
Sed tu bonus fac benignè,
Ne perenni cremer igne.

15. Inter oves locum præsta,
Et ab hœdis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

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

17. Ora supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis!

18. Lachrymosa dies illa,
Quâ resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergò parce, Deus:

Pie Jesu Domine,
Dona eis requium. Amen.

Editor's Note.

The last six lines could also be formatted as:

18. Lachrymosa dies illa,
Quâ resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.

19. Huic ergò parce, Deus:
Pie Jesu Domine,
Dona eis requium. Amen.

Scan from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #39, p. 56

Sheet Music "The Original Melody, Harmonized by Charles Child Spencer" from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #40, pp. 57-63

Sheet Music from Thomas Helmore, Accompanying Harmonies to the Hymnal Noted. Part I (London: Novello, Ewer and Co., and Masters and Son, 1852), Part II (London: Novello and Co., Joseph Masters and J. T. Hayes, 1858), #46, pp. 162-169. "In Commemoratione omnium fidelium defunctorum. Sequentia." A Sequence Harmonized by Charles Child Spencer.

Sheet Music from Rev. John Mason Neale and Rev. Thomas Helmore, eds., Hymnal Noted, Part I. (London: Novello & Co., 1852), Part II (London: Novello & Co., 1856), #46, p. 90-92.

Note: The text from which this text was taken (see scan above) uses an archaic form of the letter "s" which is very similar to the letter "f." I've attempted to exercise great care, but that (and other) errors may have occurred. Also, since I do not know Latin, I'm unable to immediately spot obvious typing errors.

There are numerous English hymns inspired by this hymn (I hesitate to use the word "translation"); In his Dictionary of Hymnology, Dr. Julian indicated that this was likely the most translated of all Latin sequences with 19 versions in Common Use in Great Britain, 72 Versions Not in Common Usage, plus an additional 61 American Translations ─ an amazing 152 translations. That was in 1892, and one can only imagine how many more there are today. The next closest Latin hymn at that time was Adeste fideles, which had a total of 38 translations.

See:

• Day of Anger, That Dread Day, Henry Alford

• Day of Wrath, O Day of Mourning. The W. J. Irons translation described by Dr. John Julian as "...one of the finest of modern renderings of the grandest of mediaeval hymns." With notes and music.

• Day Of Wrath! That Day Of Burning, W. J. Irons, alt.

• Day of Wrath, That Day Whose Knelling, John O'Hagan from Shipley, Annus Sanctus. I., #6, pp. 6-8.

• Day of Wrath, The Heart Dismaying, F. J. P. from Shipley, Annus Sanctus. I., #11, pp, 11-12.

• That Day of Wrath, That Dreadful Day, W. F. Wingfield from Shipley, Annus Sanctus. I., #16, pp.15-17.

• That Day of Wrath and Grief and Shame, James A. Dominic Aylward From Shipley, Annus Sanctus. I., #22, pp. 21

• That Day of Wrath, That Dreadful Day. The version by Sir Walter Scott, comprising three stanzas of four lines, is said to be among the most popular.

These hymns are said to be inspired by the middle portion of this hymn:

• Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, Charles Wesley

• Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, Thomas Olivers

• Lo! He Cometh, Countless Trumpets, John Cennick

• Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending, Martin Madan's Compilation

• Lo! He Comes! Let All Adore Him, Thomas Kelly

• Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger, Richard Mant

• Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger - From Christmas Carols 1833

WikiSource has a several translations of Dies Irae, with links. See: Dies Irae.

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