Liturgy
Music
Hello to all CREDO members and visitors! Today, Good Friday, we are launching a new series of blog posts dedicating to exploring the depth and the beauty of our Catholic musical heritage. It is our hope that this series will help to restore the treasures of this heritage to those that have been denied even the knowledge of them.
During our sacred liturgy this Good Friday, the Improperia, or “Reproaches”, are traditionally sung during the procession and adoration of the holy cross. These very ancient prayers, which some date even to the second century, are accusations uttered by the Lord against Israel, and therefore also against all mankind, of whom Israel were the representative. During this beautiful and sorrowful chant, the Lord asks His people again and again:
Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi.
O My People, what have I done unto thee? Or in what have I offended thee? Answer Me.
This particular setting is an adaptation of the Gregorian chant to polyphony by the prolific composer Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), and omits approximately half of the full Improperia. It contains the first four and the terminal verse of the full Reproaches, along with the three responsorials which begin with Agios o Theos! Sanctus Deus! Nonetheless, it is possibly the most beautiful and moving setting of this traditional meditation on God’s great goodness and love, and man’s great indifference and ingratitude – our very great indifference and ingratitude.
Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i1VMXEMPzM
Text/Translation
R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi.
R. O My People, what have I done unto thee? Or in what have I offended thee? Answer Me.
R. Popule meus &c.
V. Quia eduxi te de terra Aegypti, parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo.
V. Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Saviour.
Hagios o Theos. Sanctus Deus.
Hagios Ischyros. Sanctus Fortis.
Hagios Athanatos, eleison himas.
Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis.
O Holy God. O Holy God.
O holy, O mighty One. O holy, O mighty One.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
V. Quia eduxi te per desertum quadraginta annis, et manna cibavi te, et introduxi te in terram satis bonam, parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo.
V. Because I led thee out through the desert in forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a very good land, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Saviour.
Hagios o Theos. Sanctus Deus.
Hagios Ischyros. Sanctus Fortis.
Hagios Athanatos, eleison himas.
Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis.
O Holy God. O Holy God.
O holy, O mighty One. O holy, O mighty One.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
V. Quid ultra debui facere tibi, et non feci? Ego quidem plantavi te vineam meam speciosissimam, et tu mihi facta es mihi nimis amara, aceto namque sitim meam potasti,et lancea perforasti latus Salvatori tuo.
V. What more should I have done, and did it not? Behold I have planted thee as My fairest vine, and thou has become very bitter unto Me, for thou hast quenched My thirst with vinegar, and with a lance has thou pierced thy Saviour’s side.
Hagios o Theos. Sanctus Deus.
Hagios Ischyros. Sanctus Fortis.
Hagios Athanatos, eleison himas.
Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis.
O Holy God. O Holy God.
O holy, O mighty One. O holy, O mighty One.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
O holy, immortal One, have mercy on us.
V. Ego propter te flagellavi Aegyptum cum primogenitis suis: et tu me flagellatum tradidisti.
V. For thee did I scourge Egypt and its firstborn, and thou has given Me over to be scourged.
R. Popule meus &c.
V. Ego te exaltavi magna virtute: et tu me suspendi in patibulo crucis.
V. With great power I lifted thee up, and thou hast hung Me upon the gibbet of the cross.
R. Popule meus &c.
Catholic Encyclopedia on the Improperia
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07703a.htm