Hellfire
Patrick Page The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ensemble The Hunchback of Notre Dame Choir Lyrics
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Omnipotenti
Beatae mariae
Semper virgini
Beato Michaeli Archangelo
Sanctis apostolis
Omnibus sanctis
Beata Maria
Of my virtue I am justly proud
Et tibi pater
Beata Maria
You know I'm so much purer than
the common, vulgar, weak,
licentious crowd
Quia peccavi nimis
Then tell me Maria
Why I see her dancing there
Why her smold'ring eyes
Still scorch my soul?
cogitatione
I feel her, I see her
The sun caught
in her raven hair
is blazing in me
out of all control
Like fire
Hellfire
This fire in my skin
This burning desire
Is turning me to sin
It's not my fault!
mea culpa
I'm not to blame!
mea culpa
It is the gypsy girl
The witch who sent this flame
mea maxima culpa
It's not my fault
mea culpa
If in god's plan
mea culpa
He made the devil
so much stronger than the man!
mea maxima culpa
Protect me Maria
Don't let this siren cast her spell
Don't her fire sear my flesh and bone
Destroy esmeralda!
And let her taste the fires of hell
Or else let her be mine
and mine alone
Hellfire, dark fire
Now gypsy, it's your turn
Choose me or
your pyre
Be mine or
You will burn!
kyrie eleison
God have mercy on her
kyrie eleison
God have mercy on me
kyrie eleison
But she will be mine
or she will burn
The song "Hellfire" is a dark and intense soliloquy sung by the character of Claude Frollo in Disney's musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The lyrics are in Latin and English, reflecting Frollo's conflicted and tormented psyche. The song starts with Frollo confessing his sins to various saints, including the virgin Mary, Saint Michael the archangel, and the apostles. He then expresses his self-righteousness and his disdain for the "vulgar" and "licentious" crowd, believing himself to be morally superior. However, he cannot control his attraction to Esmeralda, the gypsy girl, who ignites a sinful desire within him that he blames on her, calling her a witch who sent this flame. He begs for protection from the virgin Mary, whom he also desires, and contemplates destroying Esmeralda rather than facing the damnation his desire might bring upon him.
In the song, Frollo's self-righteousness is contrasted with his hypocrisy, as he tries to absolve himself from culpability. He twists his religious beliefs and moral code to justify his heinous crime of attempting to destroy Esmeralda. The song reveals the depth of Frollo's obsession and highlights the themes of lust, sin, and damnation that run throughout the story. The melody and orchestration of the song grow more and more frenzied as Frollo descends deeper into his delusions of righteousness and his desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Confiteor Deo
I confess to God
Omnipotenti
The Almighty
Beatae mariae
To Blessed Mary
Semper virgini
Ever Virgin
Beato Michaeli Archangelo
To Blessed Michael, the Archangel
Sanctis apostolis
To the holy apostles
Omnibus sanctis
To all the saints
Beata Maria
Blessed Mary
You know I am a righteous man
I am a man of high moral standards
Of my virtue I am justly proud
I am rightfully proud of my own morality
Et tibi pater
And to you, Father
Beata Maria
Blessed Mary
You know I'm so much purer than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd
I hold myself to a higher standard of purity than the average person
Quia peccavi nimis
Because I have sinned too much
Then tell me Maria, Why I see her dancing there
Oh Blessed Mary, tell me why I see that gypsy woman dancing, tempting me
Why her smold'ring eyes Still scorch my soul?
Why do her passionate and alluring eyes have such a strong impact on my soul?
Cogitatione
In thought
I feel her, I see her The sun caught in her raven hair is blazing in me out of all control
I feel her presence with me, I see the sun shining on her dark hair, and my desires spiral out of control
Like fire Hellfire This fire in my skin This burning desire Is turning me to sin It's not my fault!
This flame inside me burns like hellfire, igniting my skin and desires, leading me to sin, but it's not my fault!
Mea culpa I'm not to blame! Mea culpa It is the gypsy girl The witch who sent this flame Mea maxima culpa
I admit my guilt, but I'm not truly to blame. It is Esmeralda, the gypsy girl who is a witch, who has ignited this sinful flame within me.
It's not my fault Mea culpa If in God's plan Mea culpa He made the devil so much stronger than the man! Mea maxima culpa
I know I'm guilty, but it's not entirely my fault. It is part of God's plan that the devil is more powerful than man, leading me to sin.
Protect me Maria Don't let this siren cast her spell Don't her fire sear my flesh and bone Destroy Esmeralda! And let her taste the fires of hell Or else let her be mine and mine alone
Blessed Mary, protect me from Esmeralda's allure, don't let her temptation harm me. Destroy Esmeralda and let her burn forever in hell, or let her be with me and no one else.
Hellfire, dark fire Now gypsy, it's your turn Choose me or your pyre Be mine or You will burn! Kyrie eleison
Hellfire, dark fire, it's time to choose, Esmeralda. Choose to be with me, or burn at the stakes. Kyrie eleison, Lord have mercy.
God have mercy on her Kyrie eleison God have mercy on me Kyrie eleison But she will be mine or she will burn
Lord have mercy on Esmeralda, but also have mercy on me. She will either be mine or meet her fiery demise.
Contributed by Alice D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.