Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific … Read Full Bio ↴Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works of virtually every Western classical genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoire. Mozart is widely regarded as among the greatest composers in the history of Western music, with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture".

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.

Requiem in D Minor K.626: 4. Offertorium: Domine Jesu
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Domine, Jesu Christe,
Rex gloriae, rex gloriae
Libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
De poenis inferni
Et de profundo lacu
Libera eas de ore leonis
Ne absorbeat eas tartarus
Ne cadant in obscurum

Sed signifer sanctus Michael
Repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam

Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
Et semini eius.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Domine Jesu from Mozart's Requiem in D Minor reflects the plea to Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, to save the souls of all the deceased faithful from the torments of Hell and the depths of the abyss. He further implores the Lord to rescue them from the jaws of the lion and prevent them from being swallowed by Tartarus. The prayer continues for the souls to be guided by the holy Archangel Michael into the holy light as promised to Abraham and his offspring.

The prayerful tone of the lyrics and the use of various literary devices such as repetition, alliteration, and contrast create a sense of urgency, highlighting the desperate need to rescue the souls from eternal damnation. The melody's solemnity and emotive delivery serve to enhance the deep emotional connection between the performer and the audience.

Line by Line Meaning

Domine, Jesu Christe,
Lord, Jesus Christ,

Rex gloriae, rex gloriae
King of glory, King of glory

Libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
Free the souls of all the faithful departed

De poenis inferni
From the pains of hell

Et de profundo lacu
And from the deep pit

Libera eas de ore leonis
Deliver them from the mouth of the lion

Ne absorbeat eas tartarus
Lest Tartarus swallow them up

Ne cadant in obscurum
Lest they fall into darkness

Sed signifer sanctus Michael
But let Saint Michael, the standard-bearer,

Repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam
Represent them in the holy light

Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
Which you promised of old to Abraham