Latin · Original
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.
Requiem Aeternam
Eternal Rest
Pre-7th century; in the Roman Missal by c. 800
The Church's most common prayer for the dead — recited at every funeral, at every cemetery visit, and after grace at meals on All Souls' Day.
The Prayer · Multiple Versions
English
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Spanish
Dale Señor el descanso eterno. Brille para él la luz perpetua. Descanse en paz. Amén
Italian
L'eterno riposo dona loro, o Signore, e splenda ad essi la luce perpetua. Riposino in pace. Amen.
Portuguese
Dai-lhes, Senhor, o eterno descanso Entre os esplendores da luz perpétua. Descansem em paz. Ámen.
French
Donne-leur, Seigneur, le repos éternel Et que brille sur eux la lumière de ta face. Qu’ils reposent en paix. Amen.
German
Herr, gib ihnen die ewige Ruhe, und das ewige Licht leuchte ihnen. Lass sie ruhen in Frieden. Amen.
Polish
Wieczny odpoczynek racz zmarłym dać Panie, a światłość wiekuista niechaj im świeci. Niech odpoczywają w pokoju. Amen.
When the Prayer is Said
At funerals; at cemeteries; on November 2 (All Souls); on the anniversary of a death; on hearing of the death of any soul.
History & Background
The verse 'Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis' ('Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them') comes from 4 Esdras 2:34–35 (a deuterocanonical book preserved in the Vulgate) and has been used in the Western funeral liturgy since at least the 7th century.
As a standalone prayer for the faithful departed it became universal in lay devotion in the medieval period and is now the standard short prayer for the dead in the Latin Church. It is incorporated as a refrain into the Requiem Mass.
Indulgences Attached
A plenary indulgence is granted, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, to a faithful Catholic who devoutly visits a cemetery and prays for the faithful departed each day from November 1 to November 8 (Enchiridion of Indulgences, no. 29).