Editing Dies irae (section)

===Inspiration===
A major inspiration of the hymn seems to have come from the [[Vulgate]] translation of [[Book of Zephaniah|Zephaniah]] 1:15–16:

{{Verse translation |lang=la
|Dies iræ, dies illa, dies tribulationis et angustiæ, dies calamitatis et miseriæ, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nebulæ et turbinis, dies tubæ et clangoris super civitates munitas et super angulos excelsos.
|That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and whirlwinds, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high bulwarks. ([[Douay–Rheims Bible]])
}}

Other images come from the [[Book of Revelation]], such as {{bibleverse|Revelation|20:11–15}} (the book from which the world will be judged), {{bibleverse|Matthew|25:31–46}} (sheep and goats, right hand, contrast between the blessed and the accursed doomed to flames), {{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|4:16}} (trumpet), {{bibleverse|2 Peter|3:7}} (heaven and earth burnt by fire), and {{bibleverse|Luke|21:26}} ("men fainting with fear... they will see the Son of Man coming"). 

From the [[Jewish liturgy]], the prayer [[Unetanneh Tokef]] appears to be related: "We shall ascribe holiness to this day, For it is awesome and terrible"; "the great trumpet is sounded", etc.