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(1) Dies irae, dies illa,
solvet saeclum in favilla,
teste David cum Sibylla. *
(2) Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando iudex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus! *
(3) Tuba mirum spargens sonum
per sepulchra regionum,
coget omnes ante thronum. *
(4) Mors stupebit et natura
cum resurget creatura
iudicanti responsura.*
(5) Liber scriptus proferetur,
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus iudicetur. *
(6) Iudex ergo cum censebit,
quidquid latet apparebit:
nil inultum remanebit. *
(7) Quid sum miser tunc dicturus,
quem patronum rogaturus,
dum vix iustus sit securus?
(8) Rex tremendae maiestatis,
qui salvandos salvas gratis,
salva me, fons pietatis! *
(9) Recordare, Iesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae;
Ne me perdas illa die.*
(10) Quarens me sedisti lassus ;
Redemisti, crucem passus ;
Tantus labor non sit cassus.*
(11) Iuste iudex ultionis,
donum fac remissionis
ante diem rationis.
(12) Ingemisco tamquam reus,
culpa rubet vultus meus:
supplicanti parce, Deus. *
(13) Qui Mariam absolvisti
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti. *
(14) Preces meae non sunt dignae
sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
ne perenni cremer igne. *
(15) Inter oves locum praesta
et ab haedis me sequestra
statuens in parte dextra.
(16) Confutatis maledictis,
flammis acribus addictis,
voca me cum benedictis.
(17) Oro supplex et acclinis,
cor contritum quasi cinis.
gere curam mei finis. *
(18) Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Iudicandus homo reus;
Huic ergo parce Deus. *
* 1. lIla — “that famous,” “that dreadful”
3. David — genitive of an indeclinable noun
* 4—6 These rhyming periphrastics should be translated as simple futures. stricte – “thoroughly”
* 7. tuba — the trumpet at the end of the world (Matthew 24:3 1)
8. regionum — “of the world”
9. thronum — “the throne” (of the Judge)
* 10. mors…et natura each is the subject of stupebit and a personification (Revelations 20:13)
* 13. liber scriptus — i.e. the Book of Life
15. unde — “by which”
16. censebit in some texts sedebit appears
* 21. iustus — “the just man”
23. salvas — a verb; salvandos — the object of salvas, “those who have to be saved”; gratis — same as English
* 25. recordare — imperative
26. viae — via crucis: the “way of the cross,” or all of Jesus’ life on earth
27. ne….perdas — negative command
* 29. supply me as object of redemisti
* 34. reus — “as one condemned”
* 37. Mariam — Mary Magdalene. In the Middle Ages she was the prototype of the great sinner who did great penance after her sins were forgiven by Jesus.
38. latronem — the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42). He was assigned the name Dismas and several legends arose concerning him.
* 41. fac benigne — “kindly grant”
* 51. gere curam “have a care for” (with genitive)
* 53. qua — “on which,” “when”