This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
By the waters of Babylon
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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By the waters of Babylon by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — 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 By the waters of Babylon
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s anthem By the waters of Babylon sets a poignant text from Psalm 137. The composer’s settings often draw on rich, evocative harmonies, and this work is no exception, creating a powerful emotional sound world. Sung by SATB choir, the music responds directly to the lament of the exiles in Babylon. The Latin text speaks of their sorrow, their silenced harps, and the desperate question of how to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. Coleridge-Taylor’s setting moves between these moments of deep sadness and a plea for remembrance and eventual vindication, creating a profound and moving experience for both performers and listeners. This anthem is a significant work within the English sacred choral tradition.
