Have mercy on me, O God!

or Latin "Miserere mei, Deus"

About 'Miserere mei, Deus'

By Aaron Green

Classical Music Expert

Gregorio Allegri composed this sacred work in the 1630s, during the papacy of Pope Urban VIII.  The piece was written for use in the Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday of Holy Week.  Pope Urban VIII loved the piece so much, that he forbid it to be performed elsewhere outside of the Sistine Chapel.  For over 100 years, Allegri's 'Miserere mei, Deus' was performed exclusively in the church.  Anyone caught with a transcription of the piece outside of the chapel could be immediately excommunicated from the church. (In 1770, a 14 year old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was present at one of the performances while touring Italy with his father.  After hearing the piece, Mozart transcribed the work entirely from memory and even made corrections. He attended one more performance to make his final adjustments. The following year, after meeting with music historian and biographer, Dr. Charles Burney, Mozart gave him the sheet music.

'Miserere mei, Deus' Original Latin Lyrics

Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
Asperges me hysopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Ne proiicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.
Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum, et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut aedificentur muri Ierusalem.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.


'Miserere mei, Deus' English Translation

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.
According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies remove my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin.
I knowingly confess my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned, and done evil before Thee: that they may be justified in Thy sayings, and might they overcome when I am judged.
But behold, I was formed in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, Thou desires truth in my inner most being: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Open my ears and make me hear of joy and gladness: and my bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
Turn away Thy face from my sins: and remember not all my misdeeds.
Create in me a clean heart, O God: and make anew a righteous spirit within my body.
Do not cast me away from Thy presence: and take not Thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
I will teach those that are unjust Thy ways: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips: and my mouth shall spring forth Thy praise.
For Thou desires no sacrifice, where others would: with burnt offerings Thou wilt not be delighted.
Sacrifices of God are broken spirits: dejected and contrite hearts, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Deal favorably, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with small and large burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon your altar.

Source: http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalmusictips/fl/Miserere-mei-Deus-Lyrics-and-English-Translation.htm

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miserere_(Allegri)

THE HOLY BIBLE CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 

AUTHORIZED KING JAMES VERSION
PURE CAMBRIDGE EDITION
MADE IN AUSTRALIA

Bible in .pdf .doc .rtf. txt

PSALM 51

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

(source:  AUTHORIZED KING JAMES VERSION PURE CAMBRIDGE EDITION  MADE IN AUSTRALIA)

PSALM 51

Načelniku godbe. Psalm Davidov, ko je prišel k njemu Natan prerok, potem ko se je bil sešel z Batsebo.


1 Milosten mi bodi, o Bog, po dobroti svoji,
po obilnosti svojega usmiljenja izbriši pregrehe moje.

2 Popolnoma me operi krivice moje
in greha mojega me očisti.

3 Kajti, zavedam se svoje pregrehe,
in greh moj, mi je vedno pred očmi.

4 Proti tebi sem grešil, in storil, kar je zlo tvojim očem,
ti pa si pravičen, ko govoriš in kadar sodiš.

5 Glej, v krivici sem se rodil in
v grehu me je spočela mati moja.

6  Glej, ti želiš notranje čistosti,
zato mi v globini duše razodevaj svojo modrost.

7 Poškropi me z rožno vodo, da postanem čist, operi me,
da bom bolj bel kot sneg.

8 Naj me do kosti, ki so strte pod težo greha,
prežema radost in veselje.

9 Naj moji grehi ne dosežejo srditega obličja tvojega,
in vse krivice moje izbriši.

10 Srce mi očisti, O Bog,
in trdnega duha obnovi v meni.

11 Ne zavrzi me, ne pozabi name,
in s Svetim Duhom me izpolni.

12 Obudi v meni željo po zveličanju
in izpolni me z velikodušnostjo.

13 Učil bom prestopnike pota tvoja,
in grešniki se povrnejo k tebi.

14 Reši me krivde prelite krvi, o Bog zveličanja mojega,
in moj jezik bo radostno hvalil tvojo pravičnost.

15 Gospod, premikaj moje ustnice,
in moja usta bodo oznanjala tvojo hvalo.

16 Ker, tebi je skesano srce slajše
kot žgalne daritve.

17 Vzdihe nesrečnih in potrtih src, o Bog,
ti ne preslišiš.

18 Z dobrotami obsiplji Sion,
po blagovoljnosti svoji, sezidaj zidovje jeruzalemsko.

19 Tedaj se boš veselil žgalnih daritev pravičnih,
in pobožni ti bodo pokladali cele junce na oltar.

(Prepisano iz Svetega Pisma Antonin Chraska s sodelavci leta-1914 z nekaj spremembami)