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The Medieval Church · 13th century; authorship disputed
Dies Irae
Attributed to Thomas of Celano · c. 1185–c. 1265
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What it is
A sequence on the day of wrath, the trumpet, the opened book, and a final quiet plea from the accused to the judge who once sat down weary seeking him.
Why it lasted
The most famous Latin hymn ever written, sung at requiems for seven centuries and quoted in music from Berlioz to film scores.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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