Requiescat comes from the
latin verb requiescere meaning to rest. It is a single word
prayer for the dead to
let her rest and for their souls to be protected.
Oscar Wilde wrote a poem called Requiescat in 1881 about a girl the narrator had loved who had passed away. It is thought that Wilde was thinking about his then ex-
fiance who deserted him and married
Bram Stoker, although she was still alive during the publication of his poem.
Track number twelve on Duncan Sheik's third album Phantom Moon is entitled Requiescat as well. The song, similar to Wilde's poem, is about a girl who is no longer alive and how their love is "no more for evermore." The term requiescat can also be seen under the heading of obituaries in several different newspapers across the United States.