War Requiem (1989) - full transcript

(Church bell tolls)

It seemed that out of battle I escaped

Down some profound dull tunnel

Long since scooped through granites
which titanic wars had groined

Yet also there
encumbered sleepers groaned

Too fast in thought or death
to be bestirred

Then, as I probed them

One sprang up

And stared with piteous recognition
in fixed eyes

Lifting distressful hands,
as if to bless

And by his smile



I knew that sullen hall

By his dead smile

I knew we stood in Hell

With a thousand pains
that vision's face was grained

Yet no blood reached there
from the upper ground

And no guns thumped,
or down the flues made moan

"Strange friend," I said

"Here is no cause to mourn"

"None," said the other

"Save the undone years,
the hopelessness"

Whatever hope is yours,
was my life also

I went hunting wild
after the wildest beauty in the world

Which lies not calm in eyes,
or braided hair

But mocks the steady running
of the hour



And if it grieves,
grieves richlier than here

For by my glee
might many men have laughed

And of my weeping
something had been left

Which must die now

I mean the truth untold

The pity of war

The pity war distilled

- [music] Requiem
- [music] Requiem

- [music] Requiem aeternam
- [music] Requiem aeternam

- [music] Requiem
- [music] Requiem

- [music] Requiem aeternam
- [music] Requiem aeternam

[music] Requiem aeternam

- [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis
- [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis

- [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis
- [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis

- [music] Dona eis, Domine
- [music] Dona eis, Domine

- [music] Dona eis, Domine
- [music] Dona eis, Domine

([music] Music over audio)

- [music] Et lux perpetua
- [music] Et lux perpetua

- [music] Et lux perpetua
- [music] Et lux perpetua

- [music] Luceat eis
- [music] Luceat eis

- [music] Luceat eis
- [music] Luceat eis

[music] Requiem aeternam

[music] Dona eis, Domine

[music] Requiem aeternam

[music] Dona eis

[music] Te decet hymnus

[music] Hymnus, Deus in Sion

[music] Te decet hymnus

[music] Hymnus, Deus in Sion

[music] Et tibi reddetur
votum in Jerusalem

[music] Et tibi reddetur
votum in Jerusalem

[music] Exaudi orationem meam

[music] Exaudi orationem meam

[music] Ad te omnis caro veniet

[music] Ad te omnis caro veniet

[music] Ad te...
[music] Ad te...

[music] Ad te...

[music] Ad te...

- [music] Requiem
- [music] Requiem

[music] Requiem aeternam

- [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis,
Domine - [music] Requiem aeternam dona eis

- [music] Et lux perpetua
- [music] Et lux perpetua

- [music] Luceat eis
- [music] Luceat eis

[music] Requiem aeternam

[music] Dona eis, Domine

[music] What passing-bells
for these who die as cattle?

[music] Only the monstrous
anger of the guns

[music] Only the stuttering
rifles' rapid rattle

[music] Can patter out
their hasty orisons

[music] No mockeries for them
from prayers or bells

[music] Nor any voice of mourning
save the choirs

[music] The shrill, demented choirs
of wailing shells

[music] And bugles calling for them
from sad shires

[music] What candles may be held
to speed them all?

[music] Not in the hands of boys

[music] But in their eyes shall
shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes

[music] The pallor of girls' brows
shall be their pall

[music] Their flowers the tenderness
of silent minds

[music] And each slow dusk
a drawing-down of blinds

[music] Kyrie eleison

[music] Christe eleison

[music] Kyrie eleison

[music] Dies irae

[music] Dies illa

[music] Solvet saeclum in favilla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Quantus tremor est futurus

[music] Quando Judex est venturus

[music] Cuncta stricte discussurus

[music] Cuncta stricte discussurus!

[music] Tuba mirum spargens sonum

[music] Per sepulchra regionum

[music] Caget omnes ante thronum

- [music] Caget omnes ante thronum
- [music] Caget omnes ante thronum

[music] Mors stupebit

[music] Mors stupebit et natura

[music] Cum resurget creatura

[music] Judicanti responsura

- [music] Judicanti responsura
- [music] Judicanti responsura

[music] Judicanti responsura

[music] Bugles sang

[music] Saddening the evening air

[music] And bugles answered

[music] Sorrowful to hear

[music] Bugles sang

[music] Bugles sang

[music] Voices of boys
were by the riverside

[music] Sleep mothered them
and left the twilight sad

[music] The shadow of the morrow
weighed on men

[music] Bugles sang

[music] Voices of old despondency
resigned, resigned

[music] Bowed by the shadow,
shadow of the morrow

[music] Slept

[music] Liber scriptus proferetur

[music] In quo totum continetur

[music] Unde mundus judicetur

[music] Judex ergo cum sedebit

[music] Quidquid latet, apparebut

[music] Nil inultum

[music] Nil inultum remanebit

[music] Remanebit

[music] Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?

[music] Quid sum miser
tunc dicturus?

[music] Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?

[music] Quid sum miser
tunc dicturus?

- [music] Quem patronem rogaturus
- [music] Quem patronem rogaturus

[music] Quem patronem rogaturus

[music] Cum vix justus sit securus?

[music] Cum vix justus sit securus?

[music] Securus

[music] Rex tremendae majestatis

[music] Qui salvandos salvas gratis

[music] Rex tremendae

[music] Majestatis

[music] Rex tremendae

[music] Majestatis

[music] Qui salvandos salvas gratis

[music] Rex tremendae

[music] Majestatis

[music] Out there, we've walked
quite friendly up to death

[music] Sat down and eaten with him,
cool and bland

[music] Pardoned his spilling mess-tins
in our hand

[music] We've sniffed the green
thick odor of his breath

[music] Our eyes wept

- [music] But our courage didn't writhe
- [music] But our courage didn't writhe

[music] But our courage didn't writhe

[music] He's spat at us with bullets
and he's coughed shrapnel, shrapnel

[music] We chorused when he sang aloft

[music] We whistled while he shaved us
with his scythe

[music] Oh, Death was
never enemy of ours

[music] We laughed at him,
we leagued with him, old chum

[music] No soldier's paid to kick
against his powers

[music] We laughed

[music] We laughed

[music] Laughed

[music] Knowing that
better men would come

[music] And greater wars

[music] When each proud fighter brags

- [music] He wars on Death
- [music] For Life

[music] Not men

[music] For flags

[music] Recordare Jesu pie

[music] Quod sum causa tuae viae

[music] Ne me perdas

[music] Ne me perdas illa die

[music] Quaerens me, sedisti lassus

[music] Redemisti crucem passus

[music] Tantus labor non sit cassus

[music] Ingemisco, tamquam reus

[music] Culpa rubet vultus meus

[music] Supplicanti

[music] Supplicanti parce Deus

[music] Qui Mariam absolvisti

[music] Et latronem exaudisti

[music] Mihi quoque spem dedisti

[music] Inter oves locum praesta

[music] Et ab haedis me sequestra

[music] Statuens

[music] Statuens in parte dextra

[music] Inter oves locum praesta

[music] Et ab haedis me sequestra

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Flammis acribus addictis

[music] Voca me cum benedictis

[music] Cum benedictis

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Confutatis

[music] Maledictis

[music] Ora supplex et acclinis

[music] Cor contritum quasi cinis

[music] Gere curam mei finis

[music] Mei finis

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Ora supp/ex

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Et acclinis

[music] Cor contritum

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Flammis acribus addictis

[music] Voca me cum benedictis

[music] Voca me cum benedictis

[music] Quasi cinis

[music] Gere curam mei finis

- [music] Oro supplex et acclinis
- [music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Confutatis maledictis

[music] Be slowly lifted up

[music] Thou long black arm

[music] Great gun towering toward Heaven

[music] About to curse

[music] Reach at that arrogance

[music] Which needs thy harm

[music] And beat it down

[music] Before its sins grow worse

[music] But when thy spell be cast
complete and whole

[music] May God curse thee

[music] And cut thee from our soul

[music] Dies irae

[music] Dies illa

[music] Solvet saeclum in favilla

[music] Teste David

[music] Cum Sibylla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

- [music] Solvet saeclum in favilla
- [music] Solvet saeclum

[music] In favilla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Teste David cum Sibylla

[music] Quantus tremor est futurus

[music] Quando Judex est venturus

[music] Cuncta stricte discussurus

[music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Lacrimosa
- [music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Dies illa
- [music] Dies illa

- [music] Lacrimosa
- [music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Lacrimosa
- [music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Qua resurget ex favilla
- [music] Qua resurget ex favilla

- [music] Ex favilla
- [music] Ex favilla

- [music] Judicandus homo reus
- [music] Judicandus homo reus

- [music] Homo reus
- [music] Homo reus

- [music] Judicandus homo reus
- [music] Judicandus homo reus

- [music] Huic ergo parce Deus
- [music] Huic ergo parce Deus

[music] Move him, move him into the sun

[music] Gently, gently
its touch awoke him once

[music] At home, at home
whispering of fields un-sown

[music] Always it woke him

[music] Woke him even in France

[music] Until this morning and this snow

[music] If anything might rouse him,
rouse him now

[music] The kind old sun will know

- [music] Lacrimosa
- [music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Lacrimosa
- [music] Lacrimosa

- [music] Dies illa
- [music] Dies illa

[music] Think, think
how it wakes the seeds

[music] Woke, once the clays
of a cold, cold star

[music] Are limbs,
limbs so dear-achieved

[music] Are sides, full-nerved -
still warm - too hard to stir?

[music] Was it for this
the clay grew tall?

- [music] Qua resurget ex favilla
- [music] Qua resurget ex favilla

[music] Was it for this, for this
the clay grew tall?

- [music] Judicandus
- [music] Judicandus

- [music] Homo reus
- [music] Homo reus

[music] O what, what made fatuous,
fatuous sunbeams toil

[music] To break earth's sleep at all?

[music] Pie Jesu Domine

[music] Dona eis requiem

[music] Amen

[music] Amen

[music] Domine Jesu, Jesu, Jesu Christe

[music] Domine rex gloriae

[music] Libera animas
omnium fidelium defunctorum

[music] De poenis inferni
et de profundo lacu

[music] Domine Jesu, Jesu, Jesu Christe

[music] Jesu Christe

[music] Rex gloriae

[music] Libera eas de ore leonis

[music] Ne absorbeat eas tartarus

[music] Ne cadant in obscurum

[music] Domine Jesu

[music] Ne cadant in obscurum

[music] Jesu Christe

[music] Sed signifer sanctus Michael

[music] Repraesentet
eas in lucem sanctam

[music] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti

[music] Et semini ejus

[music] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini ejus...

[music] So Abram rose and clave the wood

[music] And went,
and took the fire with him

[music] And a knife

[music] And as they sojourned
both of them together

[music] Isaac the first-born
spake and said, "My Father"

[music] "My Father"

[music] "My Father,
behold the preparations"

[music] "Fire and iron"

[music] "But where the lamb
for this burnt offering?"

[music] Then Abram bound the youth

[music] With belts and straps

[music] And builded
parapets and trenches there

[music] And stretched forth
the knife to slay his son

[music] When lo!

[music] An angel

[music] Called him out of heaven, saying

[music] "Lay not thy hand upon the lad"

[music] "Neither do anything to him"

[music] Behold, a ram,
caught in a thicket by its horns

[music] Offer the Ram
of Pride instead of him

[music] But the old man would not so

[music] But slew his son

[music] And half the seed of Europe,
one by one

[music] Half the seed
of Europe, one by one

[music] Hostias et preced tibi Domine
laudis offerimus

[music] Half the seed of Europe

[music] Tu suscipe pro animabus illis

[music] One by one

[music] Quarum hodie memoriam facimus

[music] Memoriam facimus

[music] Half the seed of Europe

[music] Fac eas, Domine,
de morte transire ad vitam

- [music] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
- a' One by one

- [music] Et semini ejus
- a' One by one

[music] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti

[music] Et semini ejus

[music] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini ejus...

[music] Sanctus

[music] Sanctus

[music] Sanctus

[music] Dominus Deus Sabaoth

[music] Dominus Deus Sabaoth

[music] Sabaoth

[music] Pleni sunt coeli
et terra gloria tua...

[music] Hosanna in excelsis...

[music] Hosanna

[music] Hosanna in excelsis

[music] Sanctus

[music] Benedictus, Benedictus

[music] Benedictus

[music] Qui venit in nomine

[music] Benedictus

[music] In nomine Domini

[music] In nomine Domini

[music] Benedictus

[music] Benedictus

[music] Qui venit

[music] Benedictus

[music] Qui venit

[music] In nomine Domini

[music] Benedictus

[music] Qui venit

- [music] Qui venit
- [music] Qui venit

[music] Qui venit

- [music] In nomine
- [music] In nomine

[music] In nomine

[music] In nomine...

[music] Hosanna...

[music] Hosanna in excelsis...

[music] After the blast of
lightning from the East

[music] The flourish of loud clouds

[music] The Chariot Throne

[music] After the drums of time
have rolled and ceased

[music] And by the bronze west

[music] Long retreat is blown

[music] Shall life renew these bodies?

[music] Of a truth

[music] All death will He annul,
all tears assuage?

[music] Fill the void veins
of Life again with youth

[music] And wash,
with an immortal water, Age?

[music] When I do ask white Age
he saith not so

[music] "My head hangs
weighed with snow"

[music] And when I hearken to the Earth,
she saith

[music] "My fiery heart shrinks, aching"

[music] "It is death"

[music] "Mine ancient scars
shall not be glorified"

[music] "Nor my titanic
tears, the sea, be dried"

[music] One ever hangs
where shelled roads part

[music] In this war He too lost a limb

[music] But His disciples hide apart

[music] And now the
Soldiers bear with Him

[music] Agnus Dei, qui
tollis peccata mundi

[music] Dona eis requiem

[music] Near Golgotha
strolls many a priest

[music] And in their
faces there is pride

[music] That they were flesh-marked
by the Beast

[music] By whom the
gentle Christ's denied

[music] Agnus Dei, qui
tollis peccata mundi

[music] Dona eis requiem

[music] The scribes on
all the people shove

[music] And bawl allegiance to the state

[music] Agnus Dei, qui
tollis peccata mundi

[music] But they who
love the greater love

[music] Lay down their life

- [music] They do not hate
- [music] Dona ells requiem sempiternam

[music] Dona nobis pacem

[music] Libera me

[music] Libera me

[music] Domine

[music] Libera me

[music] De morte aetema

[music] De morte aetema

- [music] De morte aetema
- [music] De morte aetema

[music] In die illa tremenda

[music] In die illa tremenda...

[music] Quando coeli
movendi sunt et terra

[music] Quando coeli
movendi sunt et terra...

[music] Dum veneris
judicare saeculum per ignem

[music] Dum veneris judicare saeculum
per ignem...

[music] Tremens factus sum ego

[music] Ego et timeo

[music] Tremens, tremens, tremens

[music] Factus sum ego, ego

[music] Ego

[music] Tremens, tremens

[music] Factus sum ego

[music] Factus sum ego

[music] Sum ego, ego

[music] Et timeo

[music] Et timeo

[music] Dum discussio venerit,
atque venture ira

[music] Libera me,
Domine, de morte aeterna

[music] Quando coeli
movendi sunt I terra

[music] Dies illa

[music] Dies irae

[music] Calamitatis et miseriae

[music] Dies magna et amara valde

[music] Libera me

[music] Domine

[music] Domine

[music] It seemed that
out of battle I escaped

[music] Down some profound dull tunnel

[music] Long since scooped

[music] Through granites
which titanic wars had groined

[music] Yet also there
encumbered sleepers groaned

[music] Too fast in thought
or death to be bestirred

[music] Then, as I probed them

[music] One sprang up and stared

[music] With piteous
recognition in fixed eyes

[music] Lifting distressful
hands as if to bless

[music] And no guns thumped,
or down the flues made moan

[music] "Strange friend," I said

[music] "Here is no cause to mourn"

[music] "None," said the other

[music] "Save the undone years,
the hopelessness"

[music] "Whatever hope is yours
was my life also"

[music] "I went hunting wild
after the wildest beauty in the world"

[music] "For by my glee
might many men have laughed"

[music] "And of my weeping something
had been left"

[music] "Which must die now"

[music] "I mean the truth untold"

[music] "The pity of war"

[music] "The pity war distilled"

[music] "Now men will go content
with what we spoiled"

[music] "Or, discontent, boil bloody,
and be spilled"

[music] "They will be swift
with swiftness of the tigress"

[music] "None will break ranks,
though nations trek from progress"

[music] Miss we the march
of this retreating world

[music] Into vain citadels
that are not walled

[music] Then, when much blood
had clogged their chariot

[music] Wheels I would
go up and wash them

[music] From sweet wells

[music] Even from wells
we sunk too deep for war

[music] Even the sweetest
wells that ever were

[music] I am the enemy
you killed, my friend

[music] I knew you in this dark

[music] For so you frowned yesterday
through me

[music] As you jabbed and killed

[music] I parried

[music] But my hands were loath and cold

[music] Let us sleep now

[music] Let us sleep now

[music] Sleep now

[music] In paradisum deductant te Angeli

- [music] Let us sleep now
- [music] Let us sleep now

[music] In tuo adventu
suscipiant te Martyres

- [music] Let us sleep
- [music] Let us sleep

[music] Sleep, sleep now

[music] Et perducant te
in civitatem sanctam

- [music] Let us sleep now
- [music] Let us sleep now

[music] Let us sleep now...

[music] Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat

[music] Let us sleep...

[music] In paradisum deducant

[music] Te Angeli

[music] In tuo adventu
suscipiant te Martyres

[music] Et perducant te
in civitatem sanctam

[music] Requiem aeternam dona eis

[music] Domine

[music] Chorus Angelorum

[music] Te suscipiat

[music] Et lux perpetua

[music] Luceat eis

[music] Let us sleep now...

[music] Requiescant in pace

[music] Amen

[music] Amen [music]