Urbs beata Jerusalem

General information

Office Hymn for the Dedication of a Church (or its anniversary). LU gives a mode iv tune for which there are organ verses by Louis Couperin & Corrette; Titelouse and Willian use the mode ii tune given in dominican books.

Notes on selected settings

See also Blessed city, heavenly Salem for settings of Neale's English translation.

• Anonymous Trent 88 (mid-15c) SATT (with Pange lingua)
• Guillaume Dufay SATB (v. 1)
• Lassus SATB (even)
• Jan Le Febure SATB (even)
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina S(S)A(A)T(T)B odd verses
• Pietro Pontio SATB (in alternatim, even verses)
• Tomás Luis de Victoria SATB (in alternatim, even verses)

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Anonymous — Pange lingua (Urbs beata Jerusalem)  Latin SATT
• Guillaume Dufay — Urbs beata Jerusalem  Latin SATB
• Jan Le Febure — Urbs beata Jerusalem  Latin SATB
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Urbs beata Jerusalem  Latin SATB,SSAA,SATTB
• Pietro Pontio — Urbs beata Jerusalem  Latin SATB
• Tomás Luis de Victoria — Urbs beata Jerusalem  Latin SATB,ATTB

Text and translations

Latin text Urbs beata Jerusalem dicta pacis visio quae construitur in caelis vivis ex lapidibus et angelis coronata ut sponsata comite. Nova veniens e coelo nuptiali thalamo. Praeparata, ut sponsata, copuletur Domino. Plateae et muri ejus ex auro purissimo. Portae nitent margaritis, adytis patentibus, et virtute meritorum Illuc introducitur omnis qui ob Christi nomen hic in mundo premitur. Tunsionibus, pressuris, Expoliti lapides, suis coaptantur locis, per manus artificis, Disponuntur permansuri, sacris aedificiis. Gloria et honor Deo Usquequaque altissimo, Una Patri Filioque, Inclyto Paraclito, Cui laus est et potestas Per aeterna saecula. Amen.

English translation Blessèd City, heavenly Salem, Vision dear of peace and love, Who, of living stones upbuilded, Art the joy of heaven above, And, with angel cohorts circled, As a bride to earth dost move! From celestial realms descending, Bridal glory round her shed, To his presence, deck with jewels, By her Lord shall she be led: All her streets and all her bulwarks, Of pure gold are fashionèd. Bright with pearls her portals glitter, They are open evermore; And, by virtue of his merits, Thither faithful souls may soar, Who for Christ's dear name in this world Pain and tribulation bore. Many a blow and biting sculpture Fashioned well those stones elect, In their places now compacted By the heavenly Architect, Who therewith hath willed for ever That his palace should be decked. Translation by John Mason Neale