Ilocano Leccio: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

The Leccio (Latin for “Reading”) is a rendition of the Lamentations of Jeremiah in Latin (Vulgate), sung to the typical Ilocano melody.

The Sasainnec (Book of Lamentations) in the Hebrew text is an alphabetical acrostic poem. Each poem consists of twenty-two verses, with each verse commencing with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Latin translation precedes each poem, spelling out these Hebrew letters. Thus, the Ilocano Leccio commences with a long yet impassioned singing of Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Leccio represents a local adaptation or inculturation of the Tenebrae (Ilocano “Tinieblas,” the morning prayer services during the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday), which include the reading of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. It involves extinguishing candles one by one as Christ goes through his passion. At the ritual of the ritual, a loud noise is created to symbolize the earthquake following the death of the Messiah.

The Leccio in this recording is from Lamentations 3:1-9 and sung by members of the Men’s Choir of Tayum, Abra. Special thanks to the Ballena family for granting permission to use the recording.

[Image: Sto. Entierrio is owned by the Carino family, Gabriela Silang Gallery of Fine Arts, Tayum, Abra).

For those seeking further insights into the Book of Lamentations from a Filipino perspective, an excellent commentary is available by Pastor Federico Villanueva, titled Lamentations (Langham 2016).