Agnus Dei

Set by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Agnus Dei", op. 66 no. 5, published 1961 [ soprano, tenor, baritone, satb chorus, boys' chorus, orchestra, chamber orchestra, organ ], from War Requiem, no. 5 [Sung Text]

Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.

Translations available : CAT 


One ever hangs where shelled roads part.
In this war He too lost a limb,
But His disciples hide apart;
And now the Soldiers bear with Him.

Near Golgatha strolls many a priest,
And in their faces there is pride
That they were flesh-marked by the Beast
By whom the gentle Christ's denied.

The scribes on all the people shove
And bawl allegiance to the state,
But they who love the greater love
Lay down their life; they do not hate.

Text Authorship:

  • by Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918), "At a Calvary near the Ancre", from Poems, first published 1931

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Dr. Anthony Krupp) (Clo Blanco) , "En un Calvario cerca del Ancre", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Note: in Britten's setting, each stanza is separated by lines from Agnus dei. The two texts are interleaved.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]


Agnus Dei, 
qui tollis peccata mundi, 
dona eis requiem. 
Agnus Dei, 
qui tollis peccata mundi, 
dona eis requiem. 
Agnus Dei, 
qui tollis peccata mundi, 
dona eis requiem sempiternam.
[Dona nobis pacem.]1

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Lam Gods"
  • ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "Lamb of God", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Penderecki.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Author(s): Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918), Bible or other Sacred Texts