Quomodo sedet sola civitas

 

The first verse reads as follows, in the Vulgate and Authorised (King James) versions :

  quomodo sedet sola civitas   How doth the city sit solitary,
  plena populo   that was full of people!
  facta est quasi vidua   how is she become as a widow!
  domina gentium   she that was great among the nations,
  princeps provinciarum   and princess among the provinces,
  facta est sub tributo   how is she become tributary!

To hear this verse, click here. The file is 85Kb in size, and takes perhaps half a minute to download at normal telephone speeds.

The music is based on a prescribed tone, rather than a melody. Its music begins as follows :

Music of Quomodo sedet sola civitas

I have decided to include also a performance of the first three verses of the Lesson. You may hear them here. This download is 336Kb in size, and takes perhaps two minutes.

   incipit lamentatio Ieremiae Prophetae    Here beginneth the Lamentation of Jeremiah the
 Prophet:
       
 ALEPH  quomodo sedit sola civitas  A  How doth the city sit solitary,
   plena populo    that was full of people!
   facta est quasi vidua    how is she become as a widow!
   domina gentium    she that was great among the nations,
   princeps provinciarum    and princess among the provinces,
   facta est sub tributo    how is she become tributary!
 BETH  plorans ploravit in nocte  B  She weepeth sore in the night,
   et lacrimae eius in maxillis eius    and her tears are on her cheeks:
   non est qui consoletur eam    she hath none to comfort her
   ex omnibus caris eius    among all her lovers;
   omnes amici eius spreverunt eam    all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
   et facti sunt ei inimici    they are become her enemies.
 GIMEL  migravit Iuda propter adflictionem
 et multitudinem servitutis		  C  Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction,
 and because of great servitude:
   habitavit inter gentes nec invenit requiem    she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no
 rest:
   omnes persecutores eius adprehenderunt eam     all her persecutors overtook her
   inter angustias    between the straits.
     
    Ierusalem Ierusalem convertere ad Dominum
 Deum tuum		    Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn back to the Lord your
 God.

Note : The singer in this recording is German and uses the German form of Church Latin pronunciation.