This edition was prepared by Mick Swithinbank — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ego dormio
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Ego dormio by Jacobus Clemens non Papa — Lyrics
Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat: vox dilecti mei pulsantis,
Aperi mihi, soror mea, [sponsa,] amica mea, columba mea, [formosa mea, speciosa mea,]
immaculata mea. Quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
Aperui dilecto meo pessulum ostii mei [at ille totus desiderabilis clamans ad me]
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About Ego dormio
The text of this motet, sung in Latin, is drawn from the Song of Songs. It opens with the words Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat, painting a scene where the singer is asleep but their heart is awake, hearing the beloved knocking. The text then develops into a dialogue, with the beloved calling to open the door, and the singer responding, letting them in. The composer Jacobus Clemens non Papa sets this evocative text for SATTB choir. The later verses, drawing from the Song of Songs, describe the beloved's beauty and the lover's desire, concluding with a powerful assertion of love's strength, comparing it to death. This sacred motet offers a rich exploration of divine love and longing.
