Lament for Constantinople, Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae, Dufay

This video is in remembrance of the Fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. It is remembered with great sorrow. The other purpose of this video is to showcase the touching hymn of Guillaume Du-fay, the Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae, which is the Lament of the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople. It is modified from a part of the Book of Lamentations on the fall of Jerusalem. I included several images with the music. The song’s lyrics and translation are below:

O tres piteulx de tout espoir fontaine,
Pere du filz dont suis mere esplorée,
Plaindre me viens a ta court souveraine,
De ta puissance et de nature humaine,
Qui ont souffert telle durté villaine
Faire à mon filz, qui tant m’a hounourée.

Dont suis de bien et de joye separée,
Sans qui vivant veule entendre mes plaints.
A toy, seul Dieu, du forfait me complains,
Du gref tourment et douloureulx oultrage,
Que voy souffrir au plus bel des humains.
Sans nul confort de tout humain lignage.

O most merciful fount of all hope,
Father of the son whose weeping mother I am:
I come to complain before your sovereign court,
about your power and about human nature,
which have allowed such grievous harm
to be done to my son, who has honored me so much.

For that I am bereft of all good and joy,
without anyone alive to hear my laments.
To you, the only God, I submit my complaints,
about the grievous torment and sorrowful outrage,
which I see the most beautiful of men suffer
without any comfort for the whole human race.