Victoria: Nigra sum sed formosa - Plus Ultra

Tomás Luis de Victoria: Nigra sum sed formosa
Plus Ultra
Michael Noone
Score: www.tomasluisdevictoria.org (Nancho Alvarez)
Nigra sum sed formosa filia Jerusalem,
ideo dilexit me Dominus et introduxit me in cubiculum suum,
et dixit mihi:
Surge amica mea et veni,
jam hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit,
flores apparuerunt in terra nostra,
tempus putationis advenit.
=== ENGLISH==
I am a dark-skinned but comely daughter of Jerusalem,
and he has brought me into his chamber, and said to me:
Arise, my love, and come,
for now the winter is past,
the is over and gone,
the flowers have appeared in our land,
the time of pruning is come.

[@selgeaus]

Renaissance composers seem to be able to set this text to glorious music. I haven't heard a Nigra sum version that I didn't go 'wow' yet

[@fiveoctaves]

Haven't heard this sincw I sang it in college over 20 years ago. Thanks!

[@antoninopirrone2541]

❤️💕💕💕💕

[@vfrfoxtrott6430]

😌🙏🎵🎵🎶

[@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS]

Nigra sum sed formosa? quid? am black but beautiful?

[@fleeb]

Apparently. "I am black, but a beautiful daughter of Jerusalem."

[@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS]

@@fleeb What's the context behind this though

[@pannonia77]

@@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS This is from the Song of Songs from the Old Testament.

[@fleeb]

@@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS As @pannonia77 pointed out, this text comes out of the Song of Songs in the Old Testament. You can find many love songs and the like there, so I'm sure it's along those lines. One of the most popular lyrics from that part of the Bible that you'd find in this style of music is "O quam tu pulchra es..." or 'How beautiful you are". Heh... 'Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinuli capreae gemelli."