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Contritum est cor meum

Antiphon for Maundy Thursday

Contritum est cor meum (My heart is broken) is the third antiphon of Lauds on Maundy Thursday.

The antiphon is taken from Jeremiah 23:9, and is followed by Psalm 35. Dom Guéranger explains:

“The following psalm, like the former, belongs to the Lauds of Thursdays. It speaks of the wicked man rising in the morning with his mind bent upon the evil deeds he has resolved on during the night; it implores God’s protection against him, and sings of the life, the true light, and the abundance of good things reserved for the just in heaven.” (1)

Contritum est cor meum is here interpreted by The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego, led by John Polhamus.





Listen to Contritum est cor meum


Lyrics:

Latin text

Ant. Contritum est cor meum in medio mei,
Contremuerunt omnia ossa mea.

Psalm 35

1. Dixit injustus ut delinquat in semetipso:
Non est timor Dei ante oculos ejus.

2. Quoaniam dolose egit in conspectu ejus:
Ut inveniatur iniquitas ejus ad odium.

3. Verba oris ejus iniquitas et dolus:
Noluit intelligere ut bene ageret.

4. Iniquitatem meditatus est in cubili suo:
Astitit omni viae non bonae,
Malitiam autem non odivit.

5. Domine, in caelo misericordia tua:
Et veritas tua usque ad nubes.

6. Justitia tua sicut montes Dei:
Judicia tua abyssus multa.

7. Homines, et jumenta salvabis, Domine:
Quemadmodum multiplicasti
Misericordiam tuam, Deus.

8. Filii autem hominum
In tegmine alarum tuarum sperabunt.

9. Inebriabuntur
Ab ubertate domus tuae:
Et torrente voluptatis tuae
Potabis eos.

10. Quoniam apud te est fons vitae:
Et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen.

11. Praetende misericordiam tuam
Scientibus te,
Et justitiam tuam his, qui recto sunt corde.

12. Non veniat mihi pes superbiae:
Et manus peccatoris non moveat me.

13. Ibi ceciderunt
Qui operantur iniquitatem:
Expulsi sunt,
Nec potuerunt stare.

(Ant.)

English translation:

Ant. My heart is broken within me,
All my bones have trembled.

Psalm 35

1. The unjust said within himself, that he would sin:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2. For in his sight he hath done deceitfully,
Whereby his iniquity became more odious.

3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile:
He did not want to instruct himself to do good.

4. He hath devised iniquity on his bed:
He hath set himself on every way that is not good,
But evil he hath not hated.

5. O Lord, thy mercy is in the heavens:
And thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

6. Thy justice is as the mountains of God:
Thy judgements are a most profound abyss.

7. Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord:
O how hast thou multiplied
Thy mercy, O God.

8. But the sons of men shall hope
Under the shadow of thy wings

9. They shall be inebriated
With the abundance of thy house:
And from the torrent of thy pleasure
Thou shalt make them drink.

10. For with thee is the well of life:
And in thy light we shall see light.

11. Stretch forth thy mercy
Unto them that know thee:
And thy justice unto them that are right of heart.

12. Let the foot of the proud come not unto me:
And let the hand of the sinner move me not.

13. It is there
That those who commit iniquity have fallen:
They are cast out,
And they could not stand any longer.

(Ant.)


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Contritum est cor meum chant

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  1. Dom Guéranger, The Liturgical Year, St. Bonaventure Publications, 2000, vol. 6, p. 340.



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