Pie Jesu

This is taken from the Sarah Brightman website:

Sarah Brightman & Paul Miles-Kingston - Pie Jesu

Sarah
Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem

Paul
Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu

both
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem

choir
Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei

both
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem

choir
Dona eis requiem

both
Sempiternam
choir
Dona eis requiem

both
Sempiternam
Sarah
Requiem

Paul
Sempiternam


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Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Show: Requiem, 1985
This is the original recording from "Requiem" (1985). I find it interesting to hear how much Sarah's voice has changed in the last ten years. [from the CD-booklet]
Sung with the Winchester Cathedral Choir
Source of the song and different versions by Sarah
From: Surrender, The unexpected songs (1995)
and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection (1997).
Also on: Sings the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1992)
and on: Classics - European release (2006).

At the concert in Edinburgh I saw, and on the video of the same concert in the Royal Albert Hall (September 1997, both), Sarah sang this song with Adam Clarke.
And at the concert as well as on the video of the La Luna tour (2000/2001), Sarah sang Pie Jesu solo.

A solo version appears on: Classics (2001), which basically has the same lyrics.


Source of the lyrics: thanks to Lauren, with the correction that 'dona' is spelled with one 'n' [which comes, wrote Lanny, from "donare", meaning "give, grant, ..."] and 'tollis' is with double 'l' [thanks to Fernando A. Batista de Almeida, who added that it is "from Latin verb: tollo, tollis, tollere, sustuli, sublatum means To Take away"].


Some info on the background and origin of the song

Bjorn Handeland wrote me that this song, and in fact Andrew Lloyd Webber's entire "Requiem", is dedicated to the victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Mark DeCain, however, wrote me that in the liner notes on the CD to 'Requiem" it states that the work was composed by Webber in sorrow over the loss of his father.

At the concert in Edinburgh I saw, and on the video of the same concert in the Royal Albert Hall (September 1997, both), Sarah dedicated the song to all those who lost loved ones.
And at the concert as well as on the video of the La Luna tour (2000/2001), Sarah said it dedicated to all those who lost their lives due to political conflicts.


Sam Bendahan wrote me that "Pie Jesu" is part of a "Requiem Mass" written by Tommaso da Celano (circa 1200-1270). It has been put to music many times, the most famous version of which is by Gabriel Fauré and the most recent by Andrew Lloyd Webber.


Translation into English
Lauren also gave me an English translation of the Latin (with a correction thanks to Walter H. Padilla Ramírez); see also the translation of "In Paradisum" for some remarks.

Latin English
Pie Jesu
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem
Agnus Dei
Dona eis requiem sempiternam
Merciful Jesus
Who takes away the sins of the world
Grant them rest
Lamb of God
Grant them everlasting rest


Fernando's translation reads:

Pie Jesu, qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem.

Merciful Jesus, you take away the sins of the world
(eternal) rest grant unto them.


Sarah herself gave another translation at the Royal Albert Hall concert mentioned above:
Sweet Jesus, who takes away the sins
of the world, grant us peace



An exact translation of a song such as this is clearly difficult to give: it is the feeling that counts most. The lyrics and translation into English given in the CD-booklet of Voice of an Angel (1998) from Charlotte Church, for example, are:

Latin lyrics English translation
Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,
Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,
Qui tollis peccata mundi;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,
Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi;
Dona eis requiem,
Dona eis requiem.
Sempiternam, sempiternam requiem.

Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
You who take away the sins of the world;
Grant them peace,
Grant them peace.

Lamb of God, Lamb of God,
Lamb of God, Lamb of God,
You who take away the sins of the world;
Grant them peace,
Grant them peace.
Peace everlasting, everlasting.



The last line is actually "Everlasting, everlasting peace" of course. By the way, the translation of "requiem" as "peace" is, religiously speaking, not really correct: it is better to use "rest", as in the first translation.