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.
Settings by composers
- Jehan L'Heritier
- Claudio Monteverdi
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
- Michael Praetorius
- Tomás Luis de Victoria
Original texts and translations
Lhéritier's text
Latin text Nigra* sum sed formosa filiae Jherusalem Dutch translation Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem. |
English translation I am black but comely, daughters of Jerusalem, |
Victoria's text
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.
Latin text Nigra sum sed formosa filia Jerusalem Dutch translation Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochter van Jeruzalem, |
English translation I am a dark-skinned but comely daughter of Jerusalem, |
Palestrina's text
Song of Solomon 1:5–6a
Latin text Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jerusalem, Dutch translation Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem, |
English translation I am black but beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, |
Monteverdi's text
Latin text
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.
Dutch translation
Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem,
daarom beviel ik de Heer,
die me in zijn kamer binnenbracht
en me zei: 'Sta op, mijn geliefde, en kom,
want de winter is voorbij, het regent niet langer,
de bloemen zijn verschenen op het veld,
nu is het tijd om te snoeien.
|valign="baseline" width=50%| 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.
French translation
Je suis noire mais je suis belle, filles de Jerusalem.
Aussi le roi m'a-t-il aimée
et conduite dans ses appartements,
et il m'a dit : « Lève-toi, mon amie, et viens.
L'hiver enfin s'en est allé, la pluie nous quitte et s'éloigne,
les fleurs ont fait leur apparition sur la terre.
Le temps de la taille est venu ».
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