One Winged Angel Translation and Background
Patrick D. Ashmore
pda@procyon.com
The lyrics...
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[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]
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...
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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...
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Estuans interius (Burning inside)
ira vehementi (with violent anger,)
Estuans interius
ira vehementi
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,)
Sors immanis
Et inanis
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)
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
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 to 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.