Dies Irae (Irons, 1912)

Day of wrath! O day of mourning! William Josiah Irons

1 Dies iræ! dies illa Solvet sæclum in favilla Teste David cum Sibylla!

2 Quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex est venturus, cuncta stricte discussurus!

3 Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulchra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum.

4 Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura, judicanti responsura.

5 Liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur.

6 Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet apparebit: nil inultum remanebit.

7 Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronum rogaturus, cum vix justus sit securus?

8 Rex tremendæ majestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, salva me, fons pietatis.

9 Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuæ viæ: ne me perdas illa die.

10 Quærens me, sedisti lassus: redemisti Crucem passus: tantus labor non sit cassus.

11 Juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis ante diem rationis.

12 Ingemisco, tamquam reus: culpa rubet vultus meus: supplicanti parce, Deus.

13 Qui Mariam absolvisti, et latronem exaudisti, mihi quoque spem dedisti.

14 Preces meæ non sunt dignæ: sed tu bonus fac benigne, ne perenni cremer igne.

15 Inter oves locum præsta, et ab hædis me sequestra, statuens in parte dextra.

16 Confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis: voca me cum benedictis.

17 Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritum quasi cinis: gere curam mei finis.

1 Day of wrath! O day of mourning! See fulfilled the prophets' warning, Heaven and earth in ashes burning!

2 Oh, what fear man's bosom rendeth, when from heaven the Judge descendeth, on whose sentence all dependeth.

3 Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth; through earth's sepulchers it ringeth; all before the throne it bringeth.

4 Death is struck, and nature quaking, all creation is awaking, to its Judge an answer making.

5 Lo! The book, exactly worded, wherein all hath been recorded: thence shall judgment be awarded.

6 When the Judge his seat attaineth, and each hidden deed arraigneth, nothing unavenged remaineth.

7 What shall I, frail man, be pleading? Who for me be interceding, when the just are mercy needing?

8 King of Majesty tremendous, who dost free salvation send us, Fount of pity, then befriend us!

9 Think, good Jesus, my salvation cost thy wondrous Incarnation; leave me not to reprobation!

10 Faint and weary, thou hast sought me, on the cross of suffering bought me. shall such grace be vainly brought me?

11 Righteous Judge! For sin's pollution grant thy gift of absolution, ere the day of retribution.

12 Guilty, now I pour my moaning, all my shame with anguish owning; spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!

13 Thou the sinful woman savedst; thou the dying thief forgavest; and to me a hope vouchsafest.

14 Worthless are my prayers and sighing, yet, good Lord, in grace complying, rescue me from fires undying!

15 With thy favored sheep O place me; nor among the goats abase me; but to thy right hand upraise me.

16 While the wicked are confounded, doomed to flames of woe unbounded call me with thy saints surrounded.

17 Low I kneel, with heart submission, see, like ashes, my contrition; help me in my last condition.

The poem appears complete as it stands at this point. Some scholars question whether the remainder is an addition made in order to suit the great poem for liturgical use, for the last stanzas discard the consistent scheme of triple rhymes in favor of rhymed couplets, while the last two lines abandon rhyme for assonance and are, moreover, catalectic:

18 Lacrimosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus:

19 Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.

18 Ah! that day of tears and mourning! From the dust of earth returning man for judgment must prepare him; Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!

19 Lord, all pitying, Jesus blest, grant them thine eternal rest. Amen.

In 1970 the Dies Iræ was removed from the Missal and since 1971 it is proposed ad libitum as a hymn for the Liturgy of the Hours at the Office of Readings, Lauds and Vespers. For this purpose stanza 19 was deleted and the poem divided into three sections: 1-6 (for the Office of Readings), 7-12 (for Lauds) and 13-18 (for Vespers). In addition Qui Mariam absolvisti in stanza 13 was replaced by Peccatricem qui solvisti so that that line would now mean, "You who freed the sinful woman". In addition a doxology is given after stanzas 6, 12 and 18:

doxology: O tu, Deus majestatis, alme candor Trinitatis nos coniunge cum beatis. Amen.

doxology: O God of majesty nourishing light of the Trinity join us with the blessed. Amen.

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