What is Lacrimosa Sub Rosa? Lacrimosa is a Latin word meaning tearful or mournful. It is often associated with sorrow and suffering. One of the most well-known uses of this word is in Lacrimosa, a section of Mozart’s Requiem, which expresses deep grief and loss. Sub Rosa translates to under the rose. This phrase comes from an ancient tradition where a rose was hung in meeting places to signify that whatever was spoken there must remain a secret. It symbolized confidentiality, discretion, and hidden truths. Finally, it is a state of undefined presence, where sensations are kept beneath the external, flowing through without consuming.