A One-Winged Angel:
Translation and Background

By Patrick D. Ashmore
pda@procyon.com

The lyrics...

[CHORUS]
Estuans interius
ira vehementi
Estuans interius
Ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth

[REPEAT CHORUS]

Sors immanis
Et inanis
Sors immanis
Et inanis

[REPEAT CHORUS]

Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias

[REPEAT VERSE]

[SOPRANO SOLO (Gloriosa, Generosa)]
Veni, veni, venias, (Gloriosa)
Ne me mori facias (Generosa)
Veni, veni, venias, (Gloriosa)
Ne me mori facias (Generosa)

[REPEAT VERSE]

Sephiroth
Sephiroth

A brief history of the lyrics' source...

The lyrics to "A One-Winged Angel" are taken directly from "Carmina Burana," which is an opera written by Carl Orff in the 1930's. Orff based his opera on poems from the manuscript "Benediktbeuern."

The title "Carmina Burana" literally means 'songs of Beuren' and was given by Johann Andreas Schmeller to his complete edition (1847) of the poems contained in an early 13th-century German manuscript (found in 1803) from the Benedictine abbey of Benediktbeuern, south of Munich in the Bavarian region.

Since then, the manuscript has been known by that title even though it is now generally agreed that it probably did not originate in Benediktbeuern and may have come rather from Seckau. There are some poems in German, and several of the poems have music written in unheighted neumes - a relatively rare style of notation at the time. In total, the manuscript contains approximately 250 poems.

Translation of the lyrics...

Estuans interius................(Burning inside)
ira vehementi................(with violent anger,)

The first "verse" is the first two lines of "Estuans interius" (Burning Inside). This is the opening song to the second part of Carmina Burana, "In Taberna" (In the Tavern).

Sors immanis....................(Fate - monstrous)
Et inanis.......................(and empty,)

These lines are the first two in the second verse of "O Fortuna" (O Fortune), which is the opening prologue of Carmina Burana, "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" (Fortune, Empress of the World). This song has been used for many things, ranging from Oliver Stone's "The Doors" and "Excalibur" to commercials for Nescafe instant coffee and Old Spice. Of course, there are tonnes of horror flicks and movie trailers out there that love to use this piece.

Veni, veni, venias,...............(Come, come, O come,)
Ne me mori facias................(do not let me die)

The second "verse" is the first two lines from "Veni, veni, venias," (Come, come, O come). This is the sixth song from the third section of Carmina Burana, "Cour d'amours" (The Court of Love).

Gloriosa.................(Glorious)
Generosa....................(Noble)

And the last verse from "A One-Winged Angel" comes from "Ave formosissma" (Hail, most beutiful one). This song precedes the finale of Carmina Burana, "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" in a subsection entitled "Blanziflor et Helena" (Blanchefleur and Helen). However, they do not appear together, as the first two verses did:

Ave formosissima, (Hail, most beautiful one,)
gemma pretiosa, (precious jewel,)
ave decus virginum, (Hail, pride among virgins,)
virgo gloriosa, (glorious virgin,)
ave mundi luminar, (Hail, light of the world,)
ave mundi rosa, (Hail, rose of the world,)
Blanziflor et Helena, (Blanchefleur and Helen,)
Venus generosa! (noble Venus!)

Many people wrongfully attribute the lyrics to Haydn's Creation because of a reference in the closing credits. Haydn's Creation, however, contains no lyrics. It is played in President Shinra's office as the city of Midgar collapses around him, and the excerpt is purely instrumental.

[ Go back | Send mail to Kethry ]