Dies Quoque (Dies Quoque Angustiae) - Day of Narrow Anguish:


Dies quoque angustiae, maeroris ac tristitiae.[1]
Mens aestuans procellis curisque sauciata totis bibit medullis obliviale proclum.[2]
Si forte caput sublevo,[3] heu, pro tantis gaudiis tantis inflor suspiriis.[4]
Mihi cordis gravitas res ridetur gravis.[5]
Momentum intererat, quo se nascentia florum germina comparibus dividerent spatiis.[6]
Flammas adjiciunt, hebet animus, vires deficiunt.[7]
Nam languescit amor peritque flamma.[8]
Nam mea languet anima.[9]
Redit et quietis hora,[10]
Nec ullum miseris doloris aegri patitur manere sensum[11]
Me si manet exitus idem, hic precor inveniat consumptaque tempora poscat.[12]
Mors aurem vellens, 'vivite', ait, 'venio'.[13]

                  [Extracts are taken from Mediaeval Latin Lyrics from Penguin Classics]


Key to Sources:

[1]   St Columba: Dies Irae. Pg. 78-79.
[2]   Prudenius: Hymnus ante somnum (Before Sleep). Pg.52-53
[3]   Ms. Of St Augustine at Canterbury. Pg. 168-169.
[4]   ibid.
[5]   The Archpoet: Confessio. Pg. 184-185
[6]   Ausonius: On Newblown Roses. Pg. 36-37.
[7]   Ms. Of Benedictbeurn: Nobest, I pray thee. Pg 258-259.
[8]   Petronius Arbiter. Pg. 24-25
[9]   Ms. Of St Augustine at Canterbury. Pg. 168-169.
[10] Prudenius: Hymnus ante somnum (Before Sleep). Pg.52-53
[11] ibid.
[12] Petronius Arbiter. Pg. 16-17
[13] Appendix Vergiliana (Dancing Girl of Syria). Pg.14-15


It is unfortunate that an English translation cannot be made available here for reasons of copyright which applies to the translation. A translation by Helen Waddell can be obtained by looking up the references on a line-by-line basis in the above-mentioned book.