This edition was prepared by Brian Marble — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Haec dicit Dominus
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Haec dicit Dominus by William Byrd — Lyrics
Haec dicit Dominus: vox in excelsis audita est lamentationis, luctus et fletus, Rachaell plorantis filios suos, et nolentis consolari super eos, quia non sunt.
Haec dicit Dominus: quiescat vox tua a ploratu, et oculi tui a lacrimis, quia est merces operi tuo, ait Dominus, et est spes in novissimis tuis, et revertentur filii ad terminos suos.
About Haec dicit Dominus
This motet by William Byrd sets a powerful passage from the Old Testament, often associated with the prophecies of Jeremiah. Sung in Latin by an ATTBB choir, it opens with the somber announcement of God's voice, speaking of lamentation and Rachel weeping for her children, who are no more. The music would be fitting for services during Lent or other penitential seasons, or for moments of reflection on loss and grief. The text then shifts to a message of divine comfort, urging a cessation of tears as there is a reward for faithfulness and hope for the future, with a return to one's own borders. Byrd's masterful setting reflects both the sorrow and the ultimate consolation offered in the text.
