"Dies lrae" is a Latin poem on the subject of the Last Judgment. Attributed to a Franciscan monk named Tomaso de Celante (1190, c. 1255), the complete poem contains 18 rhymed stanzas. (An unknown author later added the "Pie Jesu" couplet and the "Amen.") Little did this Franciscan know that his colorful poem would provide a springboard for some of the most dramatic musical works ever written.