Eram quasi agnus innocens

General information

7th of the Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday

Settings by composers

• Michael Haydn SATB
• Orlando di Lasso SATB
• Jeffrey Quick SATB
• Ludovico da Viadana SAAT
• Tomás Luis de Victoria SATB

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Giovanni Bernardo Colombi — Eram quasi agnus innocens
• Jan Dismas Zelenka — Eram quasi agnus, ZWV 55:07
• Jan Dismas Zelenka — Responsories for Maundy Thursday, ZWV 55:1-9

Text and translations

Latin text

Responsorium:
Eram quasi agnus innocens:
ductus sum ad immolandum, et nesciebam:
Concilium fecerunt inimici mei adversum me, dicentes:
Venite, mittamus lignum in panem ejus,
et eradamus eum de terra viventium.

Versus:
Omnes inimici mei
adversum me cogitabant mala mihi:
Verbum iniquum mandaverunt adversum me dicentes.
Venite, mittamus lignum in panem eius,
et eradamus eum de terra viventium.

English translation

Responsory:
Behold, I was like an innocent lamb;
I was led to the slaughter, and I knew it not.
My enemies have conspired together against me, saying:
Come, let us put poison into his bread,
And let us cut him off out of the land of the living.

Verse:
All my enemies have thought evil things about me;
They have spoken evil words against me, saying:
Come, let us put poison into his bread,
And let us cut him off out of the land of the living.

Italian translation

Responsorium:
Ero come un agnello innocente,
condotto al macello, e morivo.
Mi parlavano con parole inique, dicendo:
Venite, mettiamo del veleno nel suo pane,
e strappiamolo dalla terra dei viventi

Versus:
I miei nemici fecero un'assemblea contro di me, mandandomi sciagure.
Mi parlavano con parole inique, dicendo:
Venite, mettiamo del veleno nel suo pane,
e strappiamolo dalla terra dei viventi