Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sybilla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando iudex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba, mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit, et natura,
Cum resurget creatura
Iudicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur,
Inquo totum continetur,
Unde mundus iudicetur.
Iudex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet, apparebit,
Nil inultum remanebit.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus,
Quem patronum rogaturus,
Cum vix iustus sit securus?
Rex tremendae maiestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis!
Recordare, Iesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae;
Ne me perdas illa die!
Quaerens me sedisti lassus,
Redemisti crucem passus:
Tantus labor non sit cassus!
Iuste iudex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis
Ante diem rationis!
—Thomas of Celano
TRANSLATION
Day of Wrath,—that Day of Days,—
When earth shall vanish in a blaze,
As David, with the Sibyl, says!
What a trembling will come o'er us,
When the Judge shall be before us,
For every hidden sin to score us!
The trumpet with its wondrous sound,
Piercing each sepulchral mound,
Shall summon all, the throne around.
Nature and death will stand aghast,
When those who to the grave have past,
Come answering to the judgment blast!
The Written Book shall be unrolled,
Wherein the deeds of all are told,
And shall the doom of all unfold.
For when the Judge shall be enthroned,
No secret shall be left unowned,
No crime or trespass unatoned.
When for a guilty wretch like me,
What plea, what pleader, will there be,
When scarcely shall the just go free!
King of tremendous majesty,
Whose grace saves all who saved may be,
Fountain of mercy, oh save me!
Forget not then, dear Son of God,
For my sake Thou thy way hast trod,
Nor let me sink beneath thy rod.
Yes, me to save Thou sat'st in pain,
Nor didst the bitter Cross disdain,—
Let not such anguish be in vain!
Unerring Judge, thy wrath restrain,
And let my sins remission gain,
While still the days of grace remain.
—Tr. Robert C. Winthrop
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