Kyrie eleison

[ Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church keer-ee-ey e-ley-uh-sawn, -son, -suhn; Greek Orthodox Church kee-ree-e e-le-ee-sawn ]

noun

1. (italics) the brief petition “Lord, have mercy,” used in various offices of the Greek Orthodox Church and of the Roman Catholic Church.
2. the brief response or petition in services in the Anglican Church, beginning with the words, “Lord, have mercy upon us.”
3. Also called Kyr·i·e [keer, -ee-ey, kee, -ree-e]. a musical setting of either of these.

Kyrie eleison

/ ˈkɪrɪɪ əˈleɪsən /

noun

1. a formal invocation used in the liturgies of the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Anglican Churches
2. a musical setting of this

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kyrie eleison¹

1300–50; Middle English kyrieleyson < Medieval Latin, Late Latin Kyrie eleīson < Late Greek Kýrie eléēson Lord, have mercy

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kyrie eleison¹

C14: via Late Latin from Late Greek kurie, eleēson Lord, have mercy

Example Sentences

“Malhaar” is patterned after the Requiem Mass, and includes a “Kyrie eleison” and “Requiem aeternam” — although Esmail intentionally picked the parts out of the traditional mass “that I feel are a little bit more universal and not necessarily specifically Christian. There’s a message there that appeals to everyone. I mean, everyone loses someone and needs to find a way to honor that.”

From Los Angeles Times

By the end, after sadly beautiful word painting with the “Kyrie eleison” text and a clarinet solo of upward runs, Bryan arrives at a finale that is less restful and resolved than a traditional Requiem’s, but more cyclical, closing with the “mmm” vocalise that started the piece.

From New York Times

They shouldn’t spend hours discussing the meaning of “Kyrie eleison.”

From New York Times

The fuzzy, kaleidoscope sound of “Kyrie Eleison Mardis Gras” by the Electric Prunes accompanies the mournful meal that Wyatt and Billy share afterward.

From Los Angeles Times

I don’t remember the exact moment I put on Side One, but I remember vividly how the chorus’s three opening pleas of “Kyrie eleison,” each more intense in its desperation for attention, affected me.

From New York Times