Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence

Song Cycle by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)

Translated to:

English — Four Lenten Motets
German (Deutsch) — Vier Motetten zur Bußzeit (Bertram Kottmann)

1. Timor et tremor
 (Sung text)

Language: Latin 
Timor et tremor venerunt super me, 
et caligo cecidit super me:
miserere mei Domine,  ... 
quoniam in te confidit anima mea.

Exaudi Deus deprecationem meam 
quia refugium meum es 
tu adjutor fortis.
Domine, invocavi te, non confundar.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Vrees en beven"
  • ENG English (Ahmed E. Ismail) , "Fear and terror", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Furcht und Zittern", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail

2. Vinea mea electa
 (Sung text)

Language: Latin 
Vinea mea electa, ego te plantavi: 
quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem, 
ut me crucifigeres et Barrabam dimitteres.

Sepivi te, et lapides elegi ex te, 
et ædificavi turrim.

Text Authorship:

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Mijn uitverkoren wijngaard"
  • ENG English (Ahmed E. Ismail) , "O vineyard, my chosen one!", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Mein erwählter Weinberg", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail

3. Tenebrae factae sunt
 (Sung text)

Language: Latin 
Tenebrae factae sunt, dum crucifixissent Jesum Judaei: 
et circa horam nonam exclamavit Jesus voce magna: 
Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti? 
Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

Exclamans Jesus voce magna, ait: 
Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Het was donker geworden"
  • ENG English (Ahmed E. Ismail) , "Shadows covered the earth", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Historical note: there is no basis in scripture or history for the portrayal of the Jewish people as the crucifiers of Jesus Christ. This long-standing charge of collective guilt was eventually repudiated by the Catholic Church at the second Vatican Council in 1965. Performers may opt to change the last word in the first line to "Nazarenum" instead (with thanks to Ian Pomerantz).

Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail

4. Tristis est anima mea
 (Sung text)

Language: Latin 
Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem: 
sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum: 
nunc videbitis turbam, quæ circumdabit me: 
Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

Ecce appropinquat hora, et Filius hominis 
tradetur in manus peccatorum.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Bedroefd is mijn ziel"
  • ENG English (Ahmed E. Ismail) , "Sad is my soul unto death", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "La mia anima è triste", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
Total word count: 139