I don't know why it doesn't appear to work with the
GregorianTranscriptionStaff, but using durations with lyrics works with a
regular Staff, and I think it still provides the appearance you desire.
More info at
https://lilypond.org/doc/v2.25/Documentation/notation/opera-and-stage-musicals#dialogue-over-music
\version "2.24.0"
chant = \relative c' {
\cadenzaOn
\hide Stem
c4 e g a g2
a4 c b a g a g g2 \bar ","
c4 g a f~f d2 \bar ","
e4 f g e e( d) c2 \bar "||"
}
verba = \lyricmode {
Sál -- ve, Re -- gí -- na, má -- ter mi -- se -- ri -- cór -- di -- ae:
Ví -- ta, dul -- cé -- do, et spes nó -- stra, sál -- ve.
}
words = \lyricmode {
\override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #-1
\override LyricText.font-shape = #'italic
"Hail, holy Queen,"4*6
"mother of mercy,"4*9
"our life, our sweetness,"4*7
"and our hope, hail."4*8
}
\score {
\new Staff \with { \remove Time_signature_engraver } <<
\new Voice = "melody" \chant
\new Lyrics = "one" \lyricsto melody \verba
\new Lyrics = "two" \words
>>
}
On Mon, 3 Nov 2025 at 15:14, Gabriel Ellsworth <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I am trying to engrave some plainchant in Latin with the English
> translation of the words immediately below the Latin lyrics.
>
> For now, I am using text marks for the English translation, but this has
> issues. Screenshot:
> [image: image.png]
>
> As you can see, when the English text takes up more horizontal space than
> does its corresponding Latin phrase, the next English phrase automatically
> gets knocked down to a “line” below it.
>
> In theory, I think, entering the English translation as lyrics (something
> like a “verse two”) would be better. But I’d want a single English lyric
> item to stretch across multiple pitches. For example, "our life, our
> sweetness," [in quotes!] should stretch across six notes: { c4 g a f~f d2
> }. And I can’t figure out how to make that happen in LilyPond lyrics.
>
> Does anyone have good ideas?
>
> Below is my code.
>
> All the best,
>
> Gabriel
>
>
> \version "2.24.0"
>
> \include "gregorian.ly"
>
> chant = \relative c' {
> \set Score.timing = ##f
> \tweak direction #DOWN \textMark \markup \italic { "Hail, holy Queen," }
> c4 e g a g2
> \tweak direction #DOWN \textMark \markup \italic { "mother of mercy," }
> a4 c b a g a g g2 \divisioMaior
> \tweak direction #DOWN \textMark \markup \italic { "our life, our
> sweetness," }
> c4 g a f~f d2 \divisioMaior
> \tweak direction #DOWN \textMark \markup \italic { "and our hope, hail."
> }
> e4 f g e e( d) c2 \bar "||"
> }
>
> verba = \lyricmode {
> Sál -- ve, Re -- gí -- na, má -- ter mi -- se -- ri -- cór -- di -- ae:
> Ví -- ta, dul -- cé -- do, et spes nó -- stra, sál -- ve.
> }
>
> \score {
> \new GregorianTranscriptionStaff <<
> \new GregorianTranscriptionVoice = "melody" \chant
> \new GregorianTranscriptionLyrics = "one" \lyricsto melody \verba
> >>
> }
>
