Aaargh! I hate French and Latin!

I have been spending the last few days trying to memorize the bloody lyrics to Dies Irae and Hymne à l'amour. Being unable to speak either Latin or French, it has proven to be a major exercise in frustration. With most songs we learn I sing it a couple of times, the lyrics seem to fall into place, and I develop a muscle memory of the piece. With these two pieces, however, I am finding it really hard.

The worst is the Jenkin's piece, mainly because I have no melody to rely on (most of the tenor line is a single note, or a slow scale), the metre is exactly the same for all the six verses and it is super fast to sing as well.

Like a saddo, I have taken to carrying a sheet of paper around with me with the lyrics and looking at it when I have a free moment. It is like using flash cards, I read a line e.g. "Judex ergo cum sedebit", and then, looking away, I have to respond "Quid quid latet apparebit, nil in ultum remanebit".

Sigh.

P.S. In my quest for esoteric pictures, the above is of a western chorus frog Pseudacris triseriata. Heh heh! Geddit? Latin? French? Singing?