This edition was prepared by Gerhard Weydt — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Heu! quid jaces stabulo
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Heu! quid jaces stabulo by Melchior Franck — Lyrics
;Original
Heu! quid jaces stabulo
omnium creator?
Vagiens cunabulo,
mundi reparator.
Si rex, ubi purpura,
vel clientum munera,
ubi aula Regis?
hic omnis penuria,
paupertatis curia,
forma novae legis.
Istuc amor generis
me traxit humani,
quod se noxa sceleris
occidit profani
his meis inopiis
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About Heu! quid jaces stabulo
Melchior Franck's motet Heu! quid jaces stabulo sets a contemplative Latin text reflecting on the humility of Christ's birth. The opening lines question why the creator of all lies in a stable, a manger, rather than in royal purple or with royal gifts, highlighting the poverty of this scene. The text then moves to express that divine love for humanity drew Christ to this state, offering riches of grace even amidst poverty. The final section bursts into praise, with repeated exclamations of 'I praise!' and 'I applaud!', celebrating God's wondrous works and eternal glory. This motet is written for double choir (SSAB.ATTB), offering rich textural possibilities to explore the profound theological and emotional journey of the text.
