Victimae paschali laudes
General Information
Easter sequence, attributed to Wipo of Burgundy (died c.1048).
Liturgical use: sung at Mass on Easter Sunday. Often incorporated into medieval religious dramas performed at Easter.
Musical settings at CPDL
Original text and translations
Latin text
(used in William Byrd's five-part setting)
Victimae paschali laudes
immolent Christiani
Agnus redemit oves:
Christus innocens Patri
Reconciliavit peccatores.
Mors et vita duello conflixere mirando,
Dux vitae mortuus, regnat vivus.
Dic nobis Maria, quid vidisti in via?
Sepulcrum Christi viventis,
Et gloriam vidi resurgentis:
Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes.
Surrexit Christus spes mea:
Praecedet vos in Galilaeam.
Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere:
Tu nobis, victor Rex, miserere. Amen. Alleluia.
English translation
To the Paschal victim let Christians
Offer up their songs of praise.
The Lamb has redeemed the sheep:
Christ who is without sin
Has reconciled sinners to the Father.
Death and life have fought a huge battle,
The Prince of Life was dead, but lives and reigns.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on your way?
'The tomb of Christ, who is alive,
And I saw the glory of his rising;
Angels standing as witnesses, the shroud and linen cloth.
Christ my hope has risen:
He has gone to Galilee before you.'
Truly, we know Christ has risen from the dead:
O King and victor, have mercy on us. Amen. Alleluia.
German translation
Dem Osterlamme Lobgesänge
Bringe dar die Christenheit.
Das Lamm erlöst die Schafe:
Christ, unschuldig, mit dem Vater
Hat versöhnet wieder
alle Sünder.
Tod und Leben stritten
in einem Kampfe wunderlich:
Des Lebens Fürst, gestorben,
herrscht lebendig.
Sage uns, Maria,
was sahst du am Wege?
Die Grabstatt Christi, der lebt,
und den Glanz sah ich des Auferstandnen,
die Engel dort als Zeugen,
das Tuch und die Gewänder.
Auferstanden Christus, meine Hoffnung,
er geht euch voran nach Galiläa.
Wir wissen, Christ ist auferstanden
von den Toten wahrhaft,
du, siegreicher König,
unser dich erbarme.
Amen, Halleluja.