Born in Salzburg, then in the Holy Roman Empire and currently in Austria, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. His father took him on a grand tour of Europe and then three trips to Italy. At 17, he was a musician at the Salzburg court but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position.
While visiting Vienna in 1781, Mozart was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He stayed in Vienna, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years there, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas. His Requiem was largely unfinished by the time of his death at the age of 35, the circumstances of which are uncertain and much mythologized.
Ave Verum
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Lyrics
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Vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine
Cuius latus perforatum unda fluxit et sangüine
Esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine
The lyrics of Ave Verum by Mozart are a beautiful hymn that praises the body of Jesus Christ that was born from the Virgin Mary. The lyrics describe how Jesus Christ suffered and was sacrificed on the cross for humanity. Through his sacrifice, his body was pierced, and water and blood flowed from his side. The hymn expresses the desire for the body of Christ to be tasted in the hour of death's judgment. This means that the lyrics emphasize how the body of Christ is the ultimate guide and protector in life after death.
Line by Line Meaning
Ave ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine
Hail, hail true body born of the Virgin Mary
Vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine
Truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for mankind
Cuius latus perforatum unda fluxit et sangüine
Whose pierced side flowed with water and blood
Esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine
May You be a foretaste for us in the trial of death
Writer(s): WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, MULLER
Contributed by Brooklyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.