Lamentations of Jeremiah
Lamentationes Ieremiae (English Lamentations of Jeremiah)
In the Greek and Latin Bibles there are five songs of lament bearing the name of Jeremiah, which follow the Book of the Prophecy of Jeremias. In the Hebrew these are entitled Kinôth. from their elegiac character, or the 'Ekhah songs after the first word of the first, second, and fourth elegies; in Greek they are called Threnoi, in Latin they are known as Lamentationes. The superscription to Lamentations in the Septuagint and other versions throws light on the historical occasion of their production and on the author: "And it came to pass, after Israel was carried into captivity, and Jerusalem was desolate, that Jeremiah the prophet sat weeping, and mourned with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and with a sorrowful mind, sighing and moaning, he said:".
To a man like Jeremiah, the day on which Jerusalem became a heap of ruins was not only a day of national misfortune, for, in a religious sense, Jerusalem had a peculiar importance in the history of salvation, as the footstool of Jahweh and as the scene of the revelation of God and of the Messias. Consequently, the grief of Jeremiah was personal, not merely a sympathetic emotion over the sorrow of others, for he had sought to prevent the disaster by his labours as a prophet in the streets of the city. All the fibres of his heart were bound up with Jerusalem; he was now himself crushed and desolate.
In all five elegies the construction of the verses follows an alphabetical arrangement. The first, second, fourth, and fifth laments are each composed of twenty-two verses, to correspond with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet; the third lament is made up of three times twenty-two verses. In the first, second, and fourth elegies each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letters following in order, as the first verse begins with ALEPH, the second with BETH etc.
The Lamentations have received a peculiar distinction in the Liturgy of the Church in the Office of Passion Week. If Christ Himself designated His death as the destruction of a temple, "he spoke of the temple of his body" (John 2:19-21), then the Church surely has a right to pour out her grief over His death in those Lamentations which were sung over the ruins of the temple destroyed by the sins of the nation.
Settings by composers
- Alexander Agricola — Lamentations 4 voices Latin ATBB
- Gregorio Allegri — Incipit lamentatio Latin SATB
- Antoine Brumel — Lamentations of Jeremiah Latin ATTB, TTBB
- François Couperin — Leçons de ténèbres Latin Solo high
- Thomas Crecquillon — Lamentationes Jeremiae Latin ATTBB
- Fabrizio Dentice — Feria 5. In cœna Domini Latin SATTB
- Fabrizio Dentice — Feria 6. in Parasceve Latin SATTB
- Fabrizio Dentice — Sabbato Sancto. Pro tertia die Latin SATTB
- Antoine de Févin — Lamentations of Jeremiah Latin ATTB
- Elzear Genet — Lamentations for Maundy Thursday, Lesson One Latin ATTB
- Elzear Genet — Lamentations for Maundy Thursday, Lesson Three Latin ATTB
- Elzear Genet — Lamentations for Maundy Thursday, Lesson Two Latin ATTB
- Elzear Genet — Recordare Domine Latin SSA
- Pietro Amico Giacobetti — Lamentatio Jeremias Feria V Latin SATTB
- Gerónimo Gonzales — Lamentación de Jeremías Latin SATB.SATB
- Charles Gounod — Gallia Latin SATB
- Marco Antonio Ingegneri — Facti sunt Latin TTBB, SATB
- Tanmoy Laskar — Lamentations of Jeremiah I Latin SSAATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Lamentationes Hieremiae Prophetae (quatuor vocum) Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Lamentationes Hieremiae Prophetae (quinque vocum) Latin SATTB
- Juan de Lienas — Lamentatio Latin SATB, SSATB
- Tiburtio Massaino — Feria V in coena Domini Latin SATTB
- Tiburtio Massaino — Feria VI in Parasceve Latin SATTB
- Tiburtio Massaino — In Sabbato Sancto Latin SATTB
- Emerico Lobo de Mesquita — Lamentations of Jeremiah Latin SATB
- Giovanni Maria Nanino — Lamentations for Maundy Thursday Latin ATTB
- Giovan Nasco — Lamentationes Jeremiae Feria V Latin TTTB
- Giovan Nasco — Lamentationes Jeremiae Feria VI Latin TTTB
- Giovan Nasco — Lamentationes Jeremiae Feria VII Latin TTTB
- Antonio Teodoro Ortells — Lesson I in Feria V a 12 Latin SSAT.SATB.SATB
- Marbrianus de Orto — Lamentations Latin ATBB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lamentationes Hieremiae Prophetae liber I Latin
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae - Liber 3 Latin
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae - Liber 4 Latin ATTTTB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Recordare Domine Latin TTTB
- Osbert Parsley — Lamentations Latin SAATB,ATTBB
- Jeffrey Quick — Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae Latin SATB
- Thomas Tallis — Lamentations of Jeremiah Latin ATTBB
- José de Torres — Aleph. Ego vir videns Latin S
- Francisco Valls — De lamentatione Jeremiae Latin SSAT.SATB
- Willem Verkaik — Klaagliederen lectio prima Dutch SSATB
- Willem Verkaik — Klaagliederen lectio tertia Dutch SSATB
- Tomás Luis de Victoria — Lamentations of Jeremiah Latin SSAB
- Robert White — Lamentations a 5 Latin SATBB
- Robert White — Lamentations a 6 Latin SSAATB
- Works that currently have no editions available:
- Estêvão de Brito — Lamentationes Jeremiae
Complete settings
- Fabrizio Dentice SATTB Feria. 5 (with Responsories, Miserere & Benedictus); Feria 6.; Sabbato Sancto
- Orlando di Lasso
- Tiburtio Massaino SATTB Feria V; Feria VI; Sabbato Sancto (all 3 with Miserere & Benedictus)
- Giovan Nasco TTTB Feria V; Feria VI; Feria VII
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (gathered into 4 'books' in Haberl's Opera omnia XXV)
- Liber Primus (Scotto 1589) a 4 (5)
- a 4 & 5
- Liber 3 (Cappella Giulia mss.) 5,6 vv
- a 5 & 6
- Tomás Luis de Victoria 5, 6 & 8 vv]]
Antonio Mogavero's Lamentations Feria 5 need adding to the list of settings.
External links
- Article on the Lamentations , with examples of distribution of verses among the tenebrae services.
Text and translations
Different authors have set to music different verses, sometimes mentioned on the composer page and/or on the work page. Often the setting starts with the words Incipit lamentatio Ieremiae prophetae (if the Vss are the first ones of one lamentation) or De lamentatione Ieremiae prophetae (if the Vss are not at the beginning of one lamentation). The settings always end with the words Ierusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum ("Jerusalem, return to the Lord thy God").
(Verses from the Clementine Vulgate and the Revised Standard Version)
1st Nocturn, Maundy Thursday
Lectio I
Latin text Incipit Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae. |
English translation Here beginneth the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah. |
Lectio II
Latin text 1:6 VAU. Et egressus est a filia Sion omnis decor ejus; |
English translation 1:6 VAU. From the daughter of Zion has departed all her majesty. |
Lectio III
Latin text 1:10 JOD. Manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia ejus, quia vidit gentes ingressas sanctuarium suum, de quibus præceperas ne intrarent in ecclesiam tuam. 1:14 NUN. Vigilavit jugum iniquitatum mearum; in manu ejus convolutae sunt, et impositae collo meo. Infirmata est virtus mea: dedit me Dominus in manu de qua non potero surgere. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum. }} |
English translation 1:10 IOD. The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things; yea, she has seen the nations invade her sanctuary, those whom thou didst forbid to enter thy congregation. |
1st Nocturn, Good Friday
Lectio I.
Latin text De Lamentations Jeremiae Prophetae. |
English translation The Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah. |
Lectio II
Latin text 2:12 LAMED. Matribus suis dixerunt: Ubi est triticum et vinum? |
English translation 2:12 LAMED. They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" |
Lectio III
Latin text 3:1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis ejus. |
English translation 3:1 ALEPH. I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; |
1st Nocturn, Holy Saturday
Lectio I
Latin text De Lamentatione Jeremiae Prophetae. |
English translation The Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah. |
Lectio II
Latin text 4:1 ALEPH. Quomodo obscuratum est aurum, mutatus est color optimus! |
English translation 4:1 ALEPH. How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! |
Lectio III
Incipit Oratio Jeremiae Prophetae. |
English translation 5:1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; behold, and see our disgrace! |
Excerpt translated into Korean
Korean translation
1:1 아, 슬프다. 예전에는 사람들로 그렇게 붐비더니, 이제는 이 도성이 어찌 이리 적막한가! 예전에는 뭇 나라 가운데 으뜸이더니 이제는 과부의 신세가 되고, 예전에는 모든 나라 가운데 여왕이더니 이제는 종의 신세가 되었구나.
1:2 이 도성이 여인처럼 밤새도록 서러워 통곡하니, 뺨에 눈물이 마를 날 없고, 예전에 이 여인을 사랑하던 남자 가운데 그를 위로하여 주는 남자가 하나도 없으니, 친구는 모두 그를 배반하여 원수가 되었는가!
1:3 유다가 고통과 고된 노역에 시달리더니, 이제는 사로잡혀 뭇 나라에 흩어져서 쉴 곳을 찾지 못하는데, 뒤쫓는 모든 자들이 막다른 골목에서 그를 덮쳐 잡는구나.
1:4 시온으로 가는 길이 이렇게 쓸쓸하다니! 명절이 되었는데도 순례자가 없고, 시온 성으로 들어가는 모든 문에도 인적이 끊어지니, 제사장들은 탄식하고, 처녀들은 슬픔에 잠겼구나. 시온이 이렇게 괴로움을 겪는구나.
1:5 대적들이 우두머리가 되고, 원수들이 번영한다. 허물이 많다고, 주께서 그에게 고통을 주셨다. 아이들마저 원수들이 보는 앞에서 사로잡혀 끌려갔다.
Excerpt translated into Dutch
Dutch translation
1:1 ALEPH. Ach, hoe eenzaam zit zij neer, de stad vol mensen! Als een weduwe is ze geworden, de heerseres van de volken. De vorstin van de gewesten is schatplichtig geworden
1:2 BETH. Onophoudelijk heeft zij ’s nachts geweend, en tranen stroomden over haar wangen: er is niemand die haar troost van al haar geliefden; al haar vrienden hebben haar afgewezen, en zij zijn vijanden geworden.
1:3 GHIMEL. (de stam van) Juda is weggetrokken vanwege de ellende en de vele slavenarbeid. Zij heeft gewoond tussen de heidenvolken, maar heeft geen rust gevonden. Haar belagers hebben haar in het nauw gedreven.
1:4 DALETH. De wegen naar Jeruzalem zijn troosteloos, want er is niemand meer, die naar de tempelfeesten komt. Al haar poorten zijn verwoest haar priesters weeklagen, haar meisjes rouwen, en zijzelf gaat gebukt onder bitterheid
1:8 HETH. Jeruzalem heeft zwaar gezondigd, daarom is ze wankel geworden: allen, die haar verheerlijkt hebben, verachten haar omdat zij haar eerloosheid gezien hebben: zij daarentegen zucht en keert zich af.
1:9 TETH. Vuil kleeft aan haar voeten: toch denkt zij niet aan haar einde. Reddeloos verloren is zij, er is niemand meer die haar troost.
Zie, Heer, mijn ellende, want de vijand is opgestaan.
1:10 IOD. De tegenstander heeft de hand geslagen aan al haar kostbaarheden: want zij ziet de heidenvolken binnendringen in haar heiligdom, aan wie u verboden had in uw tempel te komen.
1:11 CAPH. Haar hele volk zucht en is op zoek naar brood; het heeft al zijn kostbaarheden geruild voor voedsel om weer op krachten te komen. Kijk, o Heer, en zie hoe armzalig ik geworden ben!
1:12 LAMED. O, gij allen die voorbijgaat over de weg, sta even stil en zie of er leed is vergelijkbaar met het leed, dat mij overkomen is, dat de Heer over mij heeft uitgesproken op de dag van zijn brandende toorn.
1:13 MEM. Vanuit de hoogte heeft hij een vuur in mijn beenderen gezonden en mij onderricht: hij heeft een valstrik gespannen voor mijn voeten, hij doet mij terugdeinzen: hij heeft mij eenzaam achtergelaten en hele dagen neerslachtig laten wegkwijnen.
Jeruzalem, keer terug tot de Heer uw God.
- Translation by Anton Hendriks, Ben Terstegge & Hanneke Pot