The De profundis clamavi is a motet from the de Officium Defunctorum composed for six voices (SSATTB). This De profundis clamavi is the text of Psalm 129. But on three places in the Liber Usualis this text is used in de Officium Defunctorum, Office of the Dead. First in the Exsequarium ordo, Burial service bearing the corpse to the church, page 1763, second in Ad Vesperas, Vespers page 1774 and third in Ad Laudes, the Lauds page 1805. It is without doubt Lechner composed this variation with the Office of the Dead in mind because he omitted the ‘Gloria patri et filio’ which is of course not sung in the Office of the dead. The choice of texts and the order in which they occur in the sources all around Europe vary according to local uses! The more often in the Spanish region this text is used in the Office of the Dead see Pedro de Cristo (c.1550-1618) and Vivanco (c.1550-1622). But Pierre de Manchicourt (c.1510-1562) used the same text, his Spanish colleagues did. Of course a lot of composers in that time composed on the plainchant De profundis: I mention Mouton (1558), Clement (1559), Ducis (1542), Josquin (1520, 1521, 1539), Willaert (1550), Lassus (1532-1594), but nearly all of them used the Gloria Patri et filio. Thus that works were not used in the Office of the Dead. This motet is written in imitative polyphonic counterpoint, with homophonic elements to underline the text. The total motet contains 94 bars. Of course Lechner uses flats and sharps to underline his feelings and uses some dissonant. This motet is published in Septem psalmi poenitentiales, sex vocibus compositi [...] additis aliis quibusdam piis cantionibus sex et plurium vocum, Nuremberg: Katharina Gerlach, 1587.
Text:
De Profundis Clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine exaudi vocem meam.
Fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem depractionis meae.
Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine; Domine quis sustenebit?
Quia apud te propitiatio est; et propter legem tuam sustinui te Domine.
Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus; speravit anima mea in Domino.
A custodio maturina usque ad noctem, speret Israel in Domino;
quia apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud eum redemptio.
Et ipse redimet Israel ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.
Translation:
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears attend to the voice of my calling.
If you, Lord, shall mark our iniquities; Lord who shall abide it?
For there is a mercy with you; and by reason of your law I have waited for you Lord.
My soul has relied on His word; my soul has hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord;
for with the Lord there is mercy and with him copious redemption.
And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.