Hearken, O Lord, unto my humble plainings (Giovanni Croce)
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- (Posted 2020-10-03) CPDL #60780:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2020-10-03). Score information: A4, 6 pages, 386 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition is offered at original pitch for SATTTB or transposed down a fourth for AATTBB
General Information
Title: Hearken, O Lord, unto my humble plainings
Composer: Giovanni Croce
Lyricist: Psalm 101
Number of voices: 6vv Voicings: SATTBB or AATTBB
Genre: Sacred, Motet
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1608 in Musica Sacra to Six Voices, no. 5
Description: A contrafact of Croce's Audi, o Domine, meum clamorem (Psalm 101) . Croce's Sette sonetti penitentiali were first published in 1597. They arrived in England a decade later as "Musica Sacra: to Six Voyces. Composed in the Italian tongue by GIOVANNI CROCE. Newly Englished. In London Printed by Thomas Este, the assigne of William Barley. 1608."
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Hearken O Lord unto mine humble plainings,
Hide not thy face for ever in thine anger:
My days do vade as smoke, my heart in languor,
Here (flies) to thee: why shun'st thou my complainings?
Friends have I none; now from me all are flying:
In stead of bread I have been fed with ashes,
My drink my tears,; while I have felt the lashes
Of thy fierce wrath, for all mine often crying.
All kings and nations shall admire thy glory,
When thou the sighs of humble souls attendest;
It shall be writ in an eternal story.
Ah! Leave me not, thou, thou that all defendest,
That madest all (heav'n, earth, and ocean hoary):
That never didst begin, and never endest.
Psalm 102, paraphrased in sonnet by Francesco Bembo, english'd by R.H.