Nigra sum sed formosa
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Works with this title quote several different selections of words from the Song of Songs, used in devotions for the Virgin Mary.
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Original texts and translations
Lhéritier's text
Latin text
- Nigra* sum sed formosa filiae Jherusalem
- Ideo dilexit me rex
- Et introduxit me in cubiculum suum.
English translation
- I am black* but comely, daughters of Jerusalem,
- Therefore have I pleased the Lord
- And he hath brought me into his chamber.
(*)Nigra = 'black' or alternatively, 'swarthy'. In the Song of Songs, it is made clear that the woman who speaks these words has been working in the fields and considers herself unbecomingly tanned.
Dutch translation
- Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem.
- Daarom heeft de koning me uitverkoren,
- en me in zijn kamer binnengeleid.
Victoria's text
In this setting the Biblical plural 'filiae' is replaced with the singular: this can also be found in some Gregorian-chant sources and is not a misprint. At the same time it replaces a vocative with a nominative and designates the Virgin Mary herself as a daughter of Jerusalem.
Latin text
- Nigra sum sed formosa filia Jerusalem
- Ideo dilexit me Dominus
- Et introduxit me in cubiculum suum
- Et dixit mihi: surge amica mea et veni.
- Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit,
- Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra,
- Tempus putationis advenit.
English translation
- I am a dark-skinned but comely daughter of Jerusalem,
- Therefore have I pleased the Lord
- And he has brought me into his chamber
- And said to me: arise my love and come.
- For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone,
- The flowers have appeared in our land,
- The time of pruning is come.
Dutch translation
- Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochter van Jeruzalem,
- daarom heeft de Heer me uitverkoren
- en me in zijn kamer binnengeleid.
- En hij sprak tot mij: 'Sta op, mijn geliefde, en kom,
- want de winter is voorbij, het regent niet langer,
- de bloemen zijn verschenen op het veld,
- nu is de tijd gekomen om te snoeien.
Palestrina's text
Song of Solomon 1:5–6a
Latin text
- Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jerusalem,
- sicut tabernacula Cedar, sicut pelles Salomonis.
- Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim,
- quia decoloravit me sol.
- Filii matris meae pugnaverunt contra me,
- posuerunt me custodem in vineis.
English translation
- I am black but beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem,
- like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
- Do not think that I am dark,
- for the sun has changed my colour.
- My mother's sons fought against me;
- they made me keeper of the vineyards.
Dutch translation
- Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem,
- zwart als de tenten van Kedar, als het doek van Salomo's tenten.
- Maar denk niet dat ik zwart ben,
- mijn huid werd verkleurd door de zon.
- De zonen van m'n moeder hebben tegen me gestreden,
- lieten me de wijngaarden bewaken.
Monteverdi's text
Latin text
- Nigra sum sed formosa filiae Jerusalem
- Ideo dilexit me Dominus
- Et introduxit in cubiculum suum
- Et dixit mihi: surge amica mea et veni.
- Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit,
- Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra,
- Tempus putationis advenit.
English translation
- I am dark-skinned but comely, daughters of Jerusalem,
- Therefore have I pleased the Lord
- And he has brought me into his chamber
- And said to me: arise my love and come.
- For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone,
- The flowers have appeared in our land,
- The time of pruning is come.
Dutch translation
- Ik ben zwart, maar bekoorlijk, dochters van Jeruzalem,
- daarom beviel ik de Heer,
- die me in zijn kamer binnenbracht
- en me zei: 'Sta op, mijn geliefde, en kom,
- want de winter is voorbij, het regent niet langer,
- de bloemen zijn verschenen op het veld,
- nu is het tijd om te snoeien.
French translation
- Je suis noire mais je suis belle, filles de Jerusalem.
- Aussi le roi m'a-t-il aimée
- et conduite dans ses appartements,
- et il m'a dit : « Lève-toi, mon amie, et viens.
- L'hiver enfin s'en est allé, la pluie nous quitte et s'éloigne,
- les fleurs ont fait leur apparition sur la terre.
- Le temps de la taille est venu ».
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