El Mesías
Libreto del Oratorio del Mesías con enlaces de las Escrituras en español
La letra de El Mesías se extrajo directamente de las Escrituras, en una recopilación realizada por Charles Jennens, un aristócrata, músico y poeta que había trabajado con Haendel en un par de oratorios anteriores. Jennens elaboró un libreto con una profunda coherencia temática y una gran sensibilidad hacia la estructura dramática y musical. Envió el libreto a Haendel en julio de 1741 y este comenzó a componer la música al mes siguiente. Haendel comenzó por el principio de los textos y trabajó de forma secuencial, trazando y acentuando por medio de la música el poderoso arco dramático que Jennens había creado.
La letra de cada movimiento se enumera a continuación con cada referencia de las Escrituras vinculada a la Biblia en línea en ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.
And with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness; He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him.
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken.
But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?
Let all the angels of God worship Him.
Thou art gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers.
Romanos 10:15
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Salmos 19:4
Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Why do the nations so furiously rage together? and why do the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed.
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.
He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.