Luigi Dallapiccola - Parole di San Paolo

Someone didn't like me saying that Christianity, as compared to the gloom of classical paganism was seen as a religion of light and optimism.   Some of the classical pagan writers thought that made it intellectually lightweight and frivolous as compared to the pessimistic, fatalism and cruel determinacy of classical paganism.

Luigi Dallapiccola was a composer who had one inability, he was not able to choose a wrong note, a wrong rhythm, a wrong tone color a wrong expressive indication.  He is also famous for the sophistication of his choice of texts to set, having a real intellectual's knowledge of a huge range of literature.

This is his mature setting  of verses from the famous 13th Chapter of Paul's First Letter To The Corinthians, which some scholars think is among the earliest, extant writing in the New Testament, the kind of message with which he started the evangelization of the pagan gentiles around the Mediterranean.

Si linguis hominum loquar et angelorum, caritatem autem non habeam, factus sum velut aes sonans, aut cymbalum tinniens.

-  If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Et si habuero prophetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia, et omnem scientiam: et si habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, caritatem autem non habuero, nihil sum.

- And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Et si distribuero in cibos pauperum omnes facultates meas, et si tradidero corpus meum ita ut ardeam, caritatem autem non habuero, nihil mihi prodest.

- And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

Caritas patiens est, benigna est:... Non gaudet super iniquitate, congaudet autem veritati:... Omnia suffert, omnia credit, omnia sperat, omnia sustinet.

- Charity is patient, is kind: charity envies not, ... Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ... Bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all things.

Nunc autem manent fides, spes, caritas, tria haec: major autem horum est caritas.

- And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.

Latin Vulgate and  The Douay-Rheims with a few archaic words modernized.