The Complete
Requiem Mass

This purports to be more or less the entirety of the text out of which a requiem mass would be composed, however, there are many more variations and differences than this scheme would suppose. Mozart’s Requiem is one of the most complete according to this plan. In particular, he retains the Tuba mirum, the Rex tremendæ majestatis, the Confutatis and the hauntingly beautiful Lacrimosa in his Dies iræ section.

  • Introitus: Requiem æternam
  • Kyrie eleison
  • Dies Irae
    • Dies Irae
    • Tuba mirum
    • Liber scriptus
    • Quid sum miser
    • Rex tremendae
    • Recordare
    • Ingemisco
    • Confutatis
    • Lacrimosa
  • Offertorium
    • Domine Jesus
    • Hostias
  • Sanctus
  • Benedictus
  • Agnus Dei
  • Communion: Lux æeterna
  • Responsory: Libera me
Requiem æternam
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
Et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem
Exaudi orationem meam
Ad te omnis caro veniet.

Requiem æternam dona defunctis, Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine
Et lux perpetua eis.
Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon them
A hymn, O God, becometh Thee in Zion
And a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem
Hear my prayer
All flesh shall come before you

Eternal rest give unto the dead, O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon them
Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Kyrie
Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie, eleison!
Christe, eleison!
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Dies iræ
Dies iræ, dies illa
Solvet sæclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Tuba mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus
Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit.
Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus,
Cum vix justus sit securus?

Rex tremendæ
Rex tremendæ majestatus
qui salvandos salvas gratis
sale me, fons pietatis

Recordare
Recordare, Jesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuæ viæ:
Ne me perdas illa die.
Quærens me, sedisti, lassus;
Redemisti crucem passus;
Tantus labor non sit cassus.
Juste Judex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis
Ante diem rationis.

Ingemisco
Ingemisco tanquam reus,
Culpa rubet vultus meus;
Supplicanti parce, Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces meæ non sunt dignæ,
Sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum præsta,
Et ab hodis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

Confutatis
Confutatis maledictis
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictus.
Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis.

Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus:
Pie Jesu Domine:
Dona eis requiem. Amen.
This day, this day of wrath
shall consume the world in ashes,
as foretold by David and the Sibyl.

What trembling there will be
When the judge shall come
to weigh everything strictly!


The trumpet, scattering its awful sound
Across the graves of all lands
Summons all before the throne.

Death and nature shall be stunned
When mankind arises
To render account before the judge.


The written book shall be brought
In which all is contained
Whereby the world shall be judged

When the judge takes his seat
all that is hidden shall appear
Nothing will remain unavenged.


What shall I, a wretch, say then?
To which protector shall I appeal
When even the just man is barely safe?


King of awful majesty
You freely save those worthy of salvation
Save me, found of pity.


Remember, gentle Jesus
that I am the reason for your time on earth,
do not cast me out on that day
Seeking me, you sank down wearily,
you saved me by enduring the cross,
such travail must not be in vain.
Righteous judge of vengeance,
award the gift of forgiveness
before the day of reckoning.


I groan as one guilty,
my face blushes with guilt;
spare the suppliant, O God.
Thou who didsnt absolve Mary [Magdalen]
and hear the prayer of the thied
hast given me hope, too.
My prayers are not worthy,
but Thou, O good one, show mercy,
lest I burn in everlasting fire,
Give me a place among the sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
placing me on Thy right hand.


When the damned are confounded
and consigned to sharp flames,
call me with the blessed.
I pray, suppliant and kneeling,
a heart as contrite as ashes;
take Thou my ending into Thy care.


That day is one of weeping,
on which shall rise again from the ashes
the guilty man, to be judged.
Therefore spare this one, O God,
merciful Lord Jesus:
Give them rest. Amen.
Offertorium (Domine Jesus)
Domine, Jesu Christe, Rex gloriæ,
libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
de pœnis inferni
et de profundo lacu.
Libera eas de ore leonis
ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
ne cadant in obscurum;
Sed signifer sanctus Michæl
repræsentet eas in lucem sanctam,
Quam olim Abrahæ promisisti
et semini eius.

Hostias et preces tibi, Domine
laudis offerimus
tu suscipe pro animabus illis,
quarum hodie memoriam facimus.
Fac eas, Domine, de morte
transire ad vitam.
Quam olim Abrahæ promisisti
et semine eius.
Lord Jesus Christ, king of glory,
deliver the soulds of all the faithful departed
from the pains of Hell
and the bottomless pit.
Deliver them from the jaws of the lion,
lest hell engulf them,
lest they be plunged into darkness;
but let the holy standard-bearer Michæl
lead them into the holy light,
as once you promised to Abraham
and to his seed.

Lord, in praise we offer you
Sacrifices and prayers,
accept them on behalf of those
who we remember this day:
Lord, make them pass
from death to life,
as once you promised to Abraham
and to his seed.
Sanctus
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Holy, holy, holy
Lord God of hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Benedictus
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis pecatta mundi
dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem sempitername.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Grant them rest.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Grant them rest eternal.
Lux æterna
Lux æterna luceat eis Domine
cum sanctis tuis in æternum:
quia pius es.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Cum sanctis tuis in æternum:
quia pius es.
Let everlasting light shine on them, O Lord
with your saints for ever:
for you art merciful.

Eternal rest grant them, O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
With your saints for ever
for Thou art merciful.
Libera me
Libera me, Domine, de morte æterna
in die illa tremenda
quando cœli movendi sunt et terra,
dum veneris judicare sæculum per ignem.

Tremens factus sum ego et timeo,
dum discussion venerit atque venture ira:
quando cœli movendi sunt et terra.
Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death
on that awful day
when the heavens and earth shall be shaken
and you shall come to judge the world by fire.

I am seized with fear and trembling
until the trial is at hand and the wrath to come:
when the heavens and earth shall be shaken.