Nigra sum sed formosa

Works with this title quote several different selections of words from the Song of Songs, used in devotions for the Virgin Mary. Lhéritier's, Victoria's and Palestrina's are shown below. - Mick Swithinbank

'Black' - or alternatively, 'swarthy'. In the Song of Songs, it is made clear that the woman who speaks these words has been working in the fields and considers herself unbecomingly tanned.

Nigra sum (Lhéritier)

The text of Lhéritier's gorgeous setting:

Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jherusalem
Ideo dilexit me Dominus
Et introduxit me in cubiculum suum.

English translation

I am black* but comely, daughters of Jerusalem,
Therefore have I pleased the Lord
And he hath brought me into his chamber.

Note: Nigra = 'black' or alternatively, 'swarthy'. In the Song of Songs, it is made clear that the woman who speaks these words has been working in the fields and considers herself unbecomingly tanned. - Mick Swithinbank

Nigra sum (Victoria)

Nigra sum sed formosa filia* Jerusalem
Ideo dilexit me Dominus
Et introduxit me in cubiculum suum
Et dixit mihi: surge amica mea et veni.
Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit,
Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra,
Tempus putationis advenit.

English translation

I am a dark-skinned but comely daughter of Jerusalem,
Therefore have I pleased the Lord
And he has brought me into his chamber
And said to me: arise my love and come.
For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone,
The flowers have appeared in our land,
The time of pruning is come.

In this setting the Biblical plural 'filiae' is replaced with the singular: this can also be found in some Gregorian-chant sources and is not a misprint. At the same time it replaces a vocative with a nominative and designates the Virgin Mary herself as a daughter of Jerusalem.

Nigra sum (Palestrina)

Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jerusalem,
sicut tabernacula Cedar, sicut pelles Salomonis.
Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim,
quia decoloravit me sol.
Filii matris meae pugnaverunt contra me,
posuerunt me custodem in vineis.

English translation

I am black but comely, daughters of Jerusalem,
black as the tents of Kedar and the curtains of Solomon.
Do not think of me that I am dark,
for the sun has changed my colour.
My mother's sons fought against me
and put me to mind the vineyards.

Nigra sum (Monteverdi)

Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jerusalem
Ideo dilexit me Dominus
Et introduxit in cubiculum suum
Et dixit mihi: surge amica mea et veni.
Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit,
Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra,
Tempus putationis advenit.

English translation

I am dark-skinned but comely, daughters of Jerusalem,
Therefore have I pleased the Lord
And he has brought me into his chamber
And said to me: arise my love and come.
For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone,
The flowers have appeared in our land,
The time of pruning is come.