Vidi Aquam

In Eastertide (and only during Eastertide), the Vidi Aquam ("I saw water") chant replaces the Asperges Me ("Sprinkle me") during the asperges, the traditional rite at the start of the mass when the priest splashes the congregation with holy water. The water is a reminder of Baptism; the text referring to "water from the right side of the temple" comes from Ezekiel 47 - but is an obvious reference to spear-pierced side of Christ, and the water and blood that gushed from it. The second part of the Vidi Aquam "Praise the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever" is from Psalm 118.

From Fisheaters, here is the Latin text of Vidi Aquam:

Vidi aquam egrediéntem de templo, a látere dextro, allelúia: et omnes ad quos pervénit aqua ista salvi facti sunt et dicent: allelúia, allelúia.

Confitémini Dómino, quóniam bonus: quóniam in sæculum misericórdia ejus.

P.Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
S.Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Vidi aquam egrediéntem de templo, a látere dextro, allelúia: et omnes ad quos pervénit aqua ista salvi facti sunt et dicent: allelúia, allelúia.

Here it is in English:

I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia; and all they to whom that water came were saved, and they shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. [Psalm 117].

P.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
S.As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia; and all they to whom that water came were saved, and they shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

(For comparison, here is the text of Asperges Me - the text which comes from Psalm 51 - in Latin and English:

Aspérges me. Dómine, hyssópo, et mundábor: lavábis me, et super nivem dealbábor.

Miserére mei, Deus, secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.

P.Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
S.Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Aspérges me. Dómine, hyssópo, et mundábor: lavábis me, et super nivem dealbábor.


Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy. [Psalm 50]

P.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
S.As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow.)

Here's a lovely audio version of the Vidi Aquam, along with score; it doesn't say who is singing, though:



(Again for comparison, here's the Asperges Me, also with score:



)

Here's the chant score of Vidi Aquam, from the Liber Usualis:





Here's a baritone solo of the Vidi Aquam from the Liber:




Here's the Vidi Aquam as sung during the mass on the 3rd sunday after Easter at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Edinburgh:




Here's an Ambrosian Chant version of the Vidi Aquam. This one uses different words than the Gregorian text above and is quite beautiful: