This edition was prepared by Catuí Côrte-Real Suarez — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ad mortem festinamus
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Ad mortem festinamus by Anonymous — Lyrics
Ad mortem festinámus
Peccáre desistámus. (bis)
Scríbere propósui
De contémptu mundáno,
Ut degéntes saéculi
Nnon mulcéntur in vano.
Jam est hora súrgere
A somno mortis pravo. (bis)
Vita brevis bréviter,
In brevi finiétur,
Mors venit velóciter
Quae néminem verétur.
Omnia mors périmit
Et nulli miserétur. (bis)
Ni convérsus fúeris
Et sicut puer factus,
Et vitam mutáveris
In melióres actus,
Intráre non póteris
Regnum Dei beátus. (bis)
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About Ad mortem festinamus
This anonymous Latin motet, Ad mortem festinamus, belongs to the sacred choral tradition. The text, which urges a turning away from worldly vanity and sin in the face of life's brevity and the inevitability of death, is set in a direct and impactful manner. Its opening lines, 'Ad mortem festinamus, peccare desistemus' ('We hasten to death, we cease to sin'), immediately establish the somber and penitential theme. The piece reflects on the transient nature of existence, the impartial arrival of death, and the ultimate judgment. It calls for a transformation of life towards better deeds to attain the blessedness of God's kingdom. The stark contemplation of mortality serves as a powerful reminder of the need for spiritual reflection and righteous living, especially in anticipation of the last judgment.
