De Profundis
Arvo Pärt Lyrics


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De profundis clamavi ad te Domine
Domine exaudi vocem meam fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae
si iniquitates observabis Domine Domine quis sustinebit
quia apud te propitiatio est propter legem tuam sustinui te Domine sustinuit anima mea in verbum eius
speravit anima mea in Domino
a custodia matutina usque ad noctem speret Israhel in Domino
quia apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud eum redemptio
et ipse redimet Israhel ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius.




Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Arvo Pärt's song De Profundis are a biblical reference to Psalm 130, which speaks of the depths of despair and the need for redemption. The first line, "De profundis clamavi ad te Domine," translates to "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord." The singer is crying out to God from the depths of their suffering and pain, hoping to be heard and saved.


The second line, "Domine exaudi vocem meam fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae," translates to "Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication." The singer is asking for God's attention and pleading for mercy in their time of need.


The third and fourth lines refer to the difficulty of facing sin and judgment, and the hope that God's mercy and forgiveness will prevail. The following lines express faith and hope in God's redemption and deliverance, and the closing line, "et ipse redimet Israhel ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius," means "He himself will redeem Israel from all its iniquities." The singer's plea is ultimately for salvation and deliverance from sin and suffering.


Line by Line Meaning

De profundis clamavi ad te Domine
Out of the depths, I cry to you, Lord.


Domine exaudi vocem meam fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae
Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.


si iniquitates observabis Domine Domine quis sustinebit
If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?


quia apud te propitiatio est propter legem tuam sustinui te Domine sustinuit anima mea in verbum eius
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.


speravit anima mea in Domino
My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.


a custodia matutina usque ad noctem speret Israhel in Domino
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.


quia apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud eum redemptio
It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.


et ipse redimet Israhel ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius.
For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.




Contributed by Christian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@EduNauram

PSALM 130

From the depths, I have cried out to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplication.
If you, Lord, were to mark iniquities, who, O Lord, shall stand?
For with you is forgiveness; and because of your law, I stood by you, Lord.
My soul has stood by his word.
My soul has hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.



@fabiorocha2397

De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine;
Domine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuæ intendentes
in vocem deprecationis meæ.
Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine, Domine, quis sustinebit?
Quia apud te propitiatio est; et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.
Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus:
Speravit anima mea in Domino.
A custodia matutina usque ad noctem, speret Israël in Domino.
Quia apud Dominum misericordia, et copiosa apud eum redemptio.
Et ipse redimet Israël ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.



All comments from YouTube:

@topiasyli-jokipii7844

When we had this in our choir, i was like "This is so good" Then i always prayed that we'd sing this in the reherseal

@brunocostapiano

Lord have mercy on us!

@oldearado8351

He died for us. sins paid in full. One Just need to believe it.

@anesuishemudavanhu9436

oh my tears!!!, i cant control the flow of the tears when listening to Arvo, even in public, earphones in, eyes closed, and i enter an entirely different dimension where i am free

@TheCazuzo

Angels upon you....seee me, feeel me. touch meee...

@harukatakahashi8822

Or dead?

@SoniaArnalBroto

“El más antiguo, el más verdadero y el más bello órgano de la música, el origen del cual nuestra música debe provenir, es la voz humana”. Richard Wagner.

@gavindajyajya

I spent a LOT of time searching for that tune in the film 'Dead Man's Shoes'.

...now I spend ALL my time searching Arvo Pärt.

Perfection.

@guszdanovich333

I'm just entering a life-long discovering of the sheer immensity of Pärt's world. His repossessing of Renaissance polyphony is genius in its purest form. Thanks for this upload!

@JohnWilliams-bp2so

Me too!

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