“Si iniquitates observaveris” is a short antiphon sung in the Exsequiarum Ordo (the order of the funeral) and published in the Liber Usualis (edition 1936) p. 1763. This Antiphon is sung too in the Officium Defunctorum, office of the dead and published in the Liber Usualis (edition 1936) page 1774. The text is taken out a slightly part of Psalm 129/130, which is in both places prayed before this Antiphon. Raselius sets this antiphon for six voices CSATQB in a homophonic way and low texture. Raselius starts with two three-part choirs, choir I, TQB Ms 1-4 and choir II, CSA Ms 4-6 with an identical musical phrase in each choir but an octave higher in Choir II which will merge together in Ms 7. Raselius uses some fine dissonant (Ms 3 and Ms 6), uses flats and very often change of the key. To underline some words “ sustinuit anima mea” Raselius sets full chords in different key F and Bes in Ms 16 and Ms 19. At the end of this Antiphon Ralesius underlines with word-painting the word “Dominus” in Ms 36-37. In nearly all voices except Sextus and Bassus, Ralesius sets a lot of descending and ascending eighth-notes. The original text of this antiphon consists out of two sentences, the added words by Raselius have been placed by us between brackets. This antiphon contains in total 39 measures and is set in B Mixolydian and is found in Dodechachordi vivi, in quo 12 modorum musicorum exempla duodena, 4–6vv (MS, Regensburg, Bischöfliche Zentralbibliothek, Proske-Musikbibliothek 1589).
Text of this Antiphon:
Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine,
Domine, quis sustinebit?
[Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus:
Speravit anima mea in Domino]
Translation:
If You, O Lord, will take note of anger:
Lord, who could withstand?
[My soul has relied on His word:
my soul has hoped in the Lord.]