This edition was prepared by Joseph Knapicius — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
As by the Streames of Babilon
Staff Notation • Sacred, Lute songs
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Christoph Dalitz
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As by the Streames of Babilon by Thomas Campion — Lyrics
Psalmus David, Jeremiae. Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur Sion.
In salicibus in medio ejus suspendimus organa nostra:
quia illic interrogaverunt nos, qui captivos duxerunt nos, verba cantionum; et qui abduxerunt nos: Hymnum cantate nobis de canticis Sion.
Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena?
Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem, oblivioni detur dextera mea.
Adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis, si non meminero tui; si non proposuero Jerusalem in principio laetitiae meae.
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About As by the Streames of Babilon
This moving setting of Psalm 137 (136) would be most appropriate for moments of reflection or penitence. Thomas Campion combines the original Latin text with an English translation, creating a rich devotional experience. The words speak of exile and longing for Zion, a profound expression of homesickness and sorrow, famously describing the Israelites weeping by the rivers of Babylon and being asked to sing their homeland's songs in captivity. The SATB voicing allows for a full, resonant sound, ideal for conveying the deep emotion of the text, particularly in the plaintive questions and bitter pleas for remembrance and retribution.
