This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Dieu benin j'espans jour et nuit devant toy
Staff Notation • Sacred, Liturgical music
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Dieu benin j'espans jour et nuit devant toy by Eustache du Caurroy — Lyrics
Dieu benin j'espans jour et nuit devant toy
Mes soupirs ardans, relevez de leur foy:
Sus, soupirs, montez de ce creux et bas lieu,
Jusques à mon Dieu.
Dans le ventre obscur du malheur reserré,
Ainsi qu'au tombeau je demeure terré,
Sans amis, sans jour qui me luise,et sans voir
L'aube de l'espoir.
Au milieu des vifs, demy mort, je transis:
Au milieu des morts, demy vif, je languis:
C'est mourir sans fin, et ne rien avancer,
Qu'ainsi balancer.
Quant je veux chanter, je ne rens que sanglots:
Si je join les mains, je ne join que des os:
Rien je n'ay qu'horreur, et nuage à mes yeux,
Pour lever aux Cieux.
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About Dieu benin j'espans jour et nuit devant toy
This motet expresses the deep anguish of a soul trapped in despair, longing for divine solace. The text paints a vivid picture of spiritual darkness, where sighs ascend day and night, seeking relief from a world shrouded in misfortune. The composer Eustache du Caurroy captures this profound sense of suffering in his setting for SATB choir. The French lyrics convey a soul feeling half-dead among the living and half-alive among the dead, a state of perpetual torment and indecision. It is a plea for deliverance from this desolate state, a cry from the depths of misery towards heavenly light and hope, set with a palpable sense of yearning.
