Day of wrath, day that will dissolve the world into burning coals, as David bore witness with the Sibyl.
How great a tremor is to be, when the judge is to come briskly shattering every (grave).
A trumpet sounding an astonishing sound through the tombs of the region drives all (men) before the throne.
Death will be stunned and (so) will Nature, when arises (man) the creature responding to the One judging.
The written book will be brought forth, in which the whole (record of evidence) is contained whence the world is to be judged.
Therefore when the Judge shall sit, whatever lay hidden will appear; nothing unavenged will remain.
O Thou, God of Majesty, nourishing brilliance of the Trinity, join us with the Blessed.
What am I the wretch then to say? what patron I to beseech? when scarcely the just (man) be secure.
King of tremendous Majesty, who saves those-to-be-saved free, save me, Fount of piety.
Remember, faithful Jesus, because I am the cause of your journey: do not lose me on that day.
Thou has sat down as one wearied seeking me, Thou has redeemed (me) having suffered the Cross: so much labor let it not be lost.
Just judge of the avenging-punishment, work the gift of the remission (of sins) before the Day of the Reckoning.
I groan, as the accused: my face grows red from (my) fault: spare (this) supplicant, O God.
O Thou, God of Majesty, nourishing brilliance of the Trinity, join us with the Blessed.
Thou who forgave Mary [the sinful woman], and favorably heard the (good) thief, hast also given me hope.
My prayers are not worthy, but do Thou, Good (God), deal kindly lest I burn in perennial fire.
Among the sheep offer (me) a place and from the goats sequester me, placing (me) at (Thy) right hand.
After the accursed have been silenced, given up to the bitter flames, call me with the blest.
Kneeling and bowed down I pray, My heart contrite as ashes: Do Thou {, my End,} care for my end.
That sorrowful day, on which will arise from the buring coals Man accused to be judged: therefore, O God, do Thou spare him.
Faithful Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Amen.
O Thou, God of Majesty, nourishing brilliance of the Trinity, join us with the Blessed. Amen.
The Dies Irae is certainly the finest sequence the Church possesses, and likely the finest lyrical piece of the entire repertoire. The profusion of praise for this work in Catholic (and even Protestant) books prior to the mid-20th century is as remarkable as the number of attempted translations. Gihr’s little book on it is excellent. Singing the Dies Irae is one of the reasons All Souls’ Day is one of my favorite masses of the year.
Make Dies Irae Great Again!
Wouldn’t it be most excellent if this were preached if just once each year?
Beautiful and frightening.
Now… explain to me again how all-are-welcome tambourine Jesus has any relation to the Savior I will so desperately need on the Day of Wrath.
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 sepulchra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit, et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Iudicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus iudicetur.
Iudex 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 dedisti.
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.
For an orchestral performance, it’s hard to beat the Dies Irae movement of Verdi’s Requiem, especially as conducted by the ever-enthusiastic Leonard Bernstein. Take it away, Lenny…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LzBXe9–oM