This edition was prepared by Peter Rottländer — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Hei fili non respondes
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Hei fili non respondes by Claudio Monteverdi — Lyrics
Iam moriar, mi Fili!
Quisnam poterit matrem consolari,
In hoc fero dolore,
In hoc tam duro tormento?
Iam moriar, mi Fili!
O Jesu, mi sponse, mi dilecte,
mea spes, mea vita!
Me deseris, heu, vulnus cordis mei!
Respice, Iesu, precor, matrem tuam,
quae gemendo pro te pallida languet;
atque in morte funesta,
in hac tam dura et tam immani cruce,
tecum petit affigi.
O Jesu mi, o potens homo, o Deus!
En inspectores, heu, tanti doloris
quo torquetur Maria.
Miserere gementis tecum
quae extincta sit, quae per te vixit.
Sed promptus ex hac vita discedes,
O mi Fili, et ego hic ploro.
Tu confringes infernum hoste victo superbo
et ego relinquor praeda doloris, solitaria et maesta.
Te, Pater almus, teque fons amoris
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About Hei fili non respondes
This motet by Claudio Monteverdi sets a poignant Latin text of profound grief, likely sung during Lent or Holy Week. The composer’s SSATB scoring allows for rich harmonic textures to convey the sorrow expressed in the text. The lyrics articulate Mary's anguish at the foot of the cross, her desperate pleas to Jesus, and her ultimate desolation as he dies. Monteverdi masterfully uses the voices to paint a vivid picture of maternal suffering and spiritual devotion, making this a powerful and moving work for a choir seeking to express deep emotional and spiritual themes.
