This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Babylon
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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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 · Barry Johnston
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Babylon by Asahel Benham — 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 Babylon
The text for this moving setting comes from Psalm 137, also known as Super flumina Babylonis. It vividly depicts the sorrow of the Israelites in exile, weeping by the rivers of Babylon and longing for their homeland, Zion. The words express profound homesickness and a refusal to sing their sacred songs in a foreign land. Asahel Benham's SATB arrangement allows the choir to explore the emotional depth of this lament, from the despair of captivity to the fervent hope for remembrance and retribution. The blend of Latin and English lyrics adds a unique dimension to the piece, making it a powerful statement on loss and resilience.
