Latin Text Selections

The Latin:

Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: exultabunt ossa humiliata.

The English:

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

The Latin:

Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis et vincas cum iudicaris. Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum; et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.

The English:

To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me. For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.
[With many thanks to DRBO for its online presence.]

The Latin:

Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi,
voce mea ad Dóminum deprecátus sum.
Effúndo in conspéctu eíus oratiónem meam,
et tribulatiónem meam ante ipsum pronúntio :
in deficiéndo ex me spíritum meum,
et tu cognovísti sémitas meas.

The English:

I CRIED to the Lord with my voice:
with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
In his sight I pour out my prayer,
and before him I declare my trouble:
When my spirit failed me,
then thou newest my paths.

The Latin:

Protéctor noster, áspice, Deus,
et réspice in fáciem christi tui.
Quia mélior est dies una in átriis tuis super míllia ;
elégi abiéctus esse in domo Dei mei
magis quam habitáre in tabernáculis peccatórum.
Quia misericórdiam et veritátem díligit Deus :
grátiam et glóriam dabit Dóminus.

The English:

Behold, O God our protector:
and look on the face of thy Christ.
For better is one day in thy courts above thousands.
I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God,
rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners.
For God loveth mercy and truth:
the Lord will give grace and glory.

The Latin:

Confitébor tibi, Dómine rex,
et collaudábo te Deum salvatórem meum.
Confitébor nómini tuo,
quóniam adiútor et protéctor factus es mihi,
et liberásti corpus meum a perditióne :
a láqueo linguæ iníquæ, et a lábiis operántium mendácium :
et in conspéctu astántium factus es mihi adiútor.
Et liberásti me, secúndum multitúdinem misericórdiæ nóminis tui,
a rugiéntibus præparátis ad escam :
de mánibus quæréntium ánimam meam,
et de portis tribulatiónum quæ circumdedérunt me.

The English:

I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King,
and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour.

I will give glory to thy name:
for thou hast been a helper and protector to me.

And hast preserved my body from destruction,
from the snare of an unjust tongue, and from the lips of them that forge lies,
and in the sight of them that stood by, thou hast been my helper.
And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name,
from them that did roar, prepared to devour.

Out of the hands of them that sought my life,
and from the gates of afflictions, which compassed me about.

[The prayer continues of course. Davidic type of song. Notice how the Holy Name is used not as a given name but as describing the personality of God. ]

The Latin:

Múlta dicémus, et deficiémus in verbis :
consummátio autem sermónum ipse est in ómnibus.
Gloriántes ad quid valébimus ?
ipse enim omnípotens super ómnia ópera sua.
Terríbilis Dóminus, et magnus veheménter,
et mirábilis poténtia ipsíus.
Glorificántes Dóminum quantumcúmque potuéritis,
supervalébit enim adhuc : et admirábilis magnificéntia eíus.
Benedicéntes Dóminum, exaltáte illum quantum potéstis :
maíor enim est omni laude.
Exaltántes eum, replémini virtúte, ne laborétis,
non enim comprehendétis.

The English:

We shall say much, and yet shall want words:
but the sum of our words is, He is all.
What shall we be able to do to glorify him?
For the Almighty himself is above all his works.
The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great,
and his power is admirable.
Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can,
for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful.
Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can:
for he is above all praise.
When you exalt him put forth all your strength, and be not weary:
for you can never go far enough.

The Latin:

Narrátio peccántium odiósa,
 et risus illórum in delíciis peccáti.
Loquéla multum iúrans horripilatiónem cápiti státuet,
 et irreveréntia ipsíus obturátio áurium.
Effúsio sánguinis in rixa superbórum,
 et maledíctio illórum audítus gravis.

The English:

The discourse of sinners is hateful,
and their laughter is at the pleasures of sin.
The speech that sweareth much shall make the hair of the head stand upright:
and its irreverence shall make one stop his ears.
In the quarrels of the proud is the shedding of blood:
and their cursing is a grievous hearing.

The Latin:

Pósuit [Moyses] David, púero suo,
excitáre regem ex ipso fortíssimum,
et in throno honóris sedéntem in sempitérnum.
Qui implet quasi Phison sapiéntiam,
et sicut Tigris in diébus novórum :
qui adímplet quasi Euphrátes sensum,
qui multíplicat quasi Iordánis in témpore messis :
qui mittit disciplínam sicut lucem,
et assístens quasi Gehon in die vindémiæ.
Qui pérficit primus scire ipsam,
et infírmior non investigábit eam.

The English:

He [Moses] appointed to David his servant
to raise up of him a most mighty king,
and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.
Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison,
and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.
Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates,
who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.
Who sendeth knowledge as the light,
and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.
Who first hath perfect knowledge of her,
and a weaker shall not search her out.

The Latin:

Omnis homo qui transgréditur lectum suum,
contémnens in ánimam suam, et dicens : Quis me videt ?

Ténebræ circúmdant me, et paríetes coopériunt me,
et nemo circúmspicit me : quem véreor ?
delictórum meórum non memorábitur Altíssimus.

Et non intélligit quóniam ómnia videt óculus illíus,
quóniam expéllit a se timórem Dei huiúsmodi hóminis timor,
et óculi hóminum timéntes illum :

et non cognóvit quóniam óculi Dómini
multo plus lucidióres sunt super solem,
circumspiciéntes omnes vias hóminum,
et profúndum abýssi, et hóminum corda,
intuéntes in abscónditas partes.

The English:

Every man that passeth beyond his own bed,
despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me?

Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me,
and no man seeth me: whom do I fear?
the most High will not remember my sins.

And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things,
for such a man’s fear driveth from him the fear of God,
and the eyes of men fearing him:

And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord
are far brighter than the sun,
beholding round about all the ways of men,
and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men,
into the most hidden parts.

The Latin:

Iuratióni non assuéscat os tuum :
multi enim casus in illa.
Nominátio vero Dei non sit assídua in ore tuo,
et nomínibus sanctórum non admisceáris,
quóniam non erit immúnis ab eis.
Sicut enim servus interrogátus assídue a livóre non minúitur,
sic omnis iúrans et nóminans in toto a peccáto non purgábitur.
Homo assuétus in verbis impropérii
in ómnibus diébus suis non erudiétur.

The English:

Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing:
for in it there are many falls.
And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth,
and meddle not with the names of saints,
for thou shalt not escape free from them.
For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark:
so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin.
The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words,
will never be corrected all the days of his life.

The Latin:

Dómine, pater et dominátor vitæ meæ,
ne derelínquas me in consílio eórum,
nec sinas me cádere in illis.

Quis superpónet in cogitátu meo flagélla,
et in corde meo doctrínam sapiéntiæ,
ut ignoratiónibus eórum non parcant mihi,
et non appáreant delícta eórum,

et ne adincréscant ignorántiæ meæ,
et multiplicéntur delícta mea,
et peccáta mea abúndent,
et íncidam in conspéctu adversariórum meórum,
et gáudeat super me inimícus meus ?

Dómine, pater et Deus vitæ meæ,
ne derelínquas me in cogitátu illórum.
Extolléntiam oculórum meórum ne déderis mihi,
et omne desidérium avérte a me.

Aufer a me ventris concupiscéntias,
et concúbitus concupiscéntiæ ne apprehéndant me,
et ánimæ irreverénti et infrúnitæ ne tradas me.

The English:

O LORD, father, and sovereign ruler of my life,
leave me not to their counsel:
nor suffer me to fall by them.

Who will set scourges over my thoughts,
and the discipline of wisdom over my heart,
that they spare me not in their ignorances,
and that their sins may not appear:

Lest my ignorances increase,
and my offences be multiplied,
and my sins abound,
and I fall before my adversaries,
and my enemy rejoice over me?

O Lord, father, and God of my life,
leave me not to their devices.
Give me not haughtiness of my eyes,
and turn away from me all coveting.

Take from me the greediness of the belly,
and let not the lusts of the flesh take hold of me,
and give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind.

The Latin:

Mittens lápidem in volatília, deiíciet illa :
sic et qui conviciátur amíco, dissólvit amicítiam.
Ad amícum etsi prodúxeris gládium, non désperes :
est enim regréssus.
Fidem pósside cum amíco in paupertáte illíus,
ut et in bonis illíus lǽteris.
In témpore tribulatiónis illíus pérmane illi fidélis,
ut et in hæreditáte illíus cohǽres sis.
Amícum salutáre non confúndar,
a fácie illíus non me abscóndam :
et si mala mihi evénerint per illum, sustinébo.

The English:

He that flingeth a stone at birds, shall drive them away:
so he that upbraideth his friend, breaketh friendship.
Although thou hast drawn a sword at a friend, despair not:
for there may be a returning.
Keep fidelity with a friend in his poverty,
that in his prosperity also thou mayst rejoice.
In the time of his trouble continue faithful to him,
that thou mayst also be heir with him in his inheritance.
I will not be ashamed to salute a friend,
neither will I hide myself from his face:
and if any evil happen to me by him, I will bear it.

The Latin:

Est tacens qui invenítur sápiens: et est odíbilis qui procax est ad loquéndum.
Est tacens non habens sensum loquélæ: et est tacens sciens tempus aptum.
Homo sápiens tacébit usque ad tempus: lascívus autem et imprúdens non servábunt tempus.
Qui multis útitur verbis lædet ánimam suam: et qui potestátem sibi sumit iniúste, odiétur.

The English:

There is one that holdeth his peace, that is found wise: and there is another that is hateful, that is bold in speech.
There is one that holdeth his peace, because he knoweth not what to say: and there is another that holdeth his peace, knowing the proper time.
A wise man will hold his peace till he see opportunity: but a babbler, and a fool, will regard no time.
He that useth many words shall hurt his own soul: and he that taketh authority to himself unjustly shall be hated.

The Latin:

Si est tibi intelléctus, respónde próximo :
sin autem, sit manus tua super os tuum,
ne capiáris in verbo indisciplináto, et confundáris.
Honor et glória in sermóne sensáti :
lingua vero imprudéntis subvérsio est ipsíus.
Non appélleris susúrro,
et lingua tua ne capiáris et confundáris

The English:

If thou have understanding, answer thy neighbour:
but if not, let thy hand be upon thy mouth,
lest thou be surprised in an unskilful word, and be confounded.
Honour and glory is in the word of the wise,
but the tongue of the fool is his ruin.
Be not called a whisperer,
and be not taken in thy tongue, and confounded.

The Latin:

Qui díligit Deum exorábit pro peccátis,
et continébit se ab illis,
et in oratióne diérum exaudiétur.
Et sicut qui thesaurízat,
ita et qui honoríficat matrem suam.
Qui honórat patrem suum iucundábitur in fíliis,
et in die oratiónis suæ exaudiétur.
Qui honórat patrem suum vita vivet longióre,
et qui obédit patri refrigerábit matrem.

The English:

He that loveth God, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayer,
and shall refrain himself from them,
and shall be heard in the prayer of days.
And he that honoureth his mother is
as one that layeth up a treasure.
He that honoureth his father shall have joy in his own children,
and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.
He that honoureth his father shall enjoy a long life:
and he that obeyeth the father, shall be a comfort to his mother.

The Latin:

Aspérges me hyssópo, et mundábor ;
lauábis me, et super niúem dealbábor.
Misérere mei, Deus, secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.

The English (Douay-Rheims):

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

[This is also a well-known sung antiphon for the sprinking of the congregation with holy water at the beginning of Holy Mass, usually on Sundays and especially during Eastertide. Wikipaedia entry.]

The Latin:

Dóminus scit cogitatiónes hóminum,
quóniam uánæ sunt.
Beátus homo quem tu erudíeris, Dómine,
et de lege tua docúeris eum :
ut mítiges ei a diébus malis.

The English (Douay-Rheims):

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain. Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law. That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days.

The Latin:

Ecce nunc benedícite Dóminum, omnes sérui Dómini :
qui statis in domo Dómini,
in átriis domus Dei nostri.

The English (D-R):

BEHOLD now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord:
Who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.

The Latin:

Vánitas uanitátum, dixit Ecclesiástes ;
uánitas uanitátum, et ómnia uánitas.

The English:

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes
vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

The Latin:

…sed non diu permánsit ira tua.
Prósperans enim homo sine queréla deprecári pro pópulis,
próferens servitútis suæ scutum,
oratiónem et per incénsum deprecatiónem állegans,
réstitit iræ, et finem impósuit necessitáti,
osténdens quóniam tuus est fámulus.
Vicit autem turbas non in virtúte córporis,
nec armatúræ poténtia :
sed verbo illum qui se vexábat subiécit.

The English:

…but thy wrath did not long continue.
For a blameless man made haste to pray for the people,
bringing forth the shield of his ministry,
prayer, and by incense making supplication,
withstood the wrath, and put an end to the calamity,
shewing that he was thy servant.
And he overcame the disturbance, not by strength of body
nor with force of arms,
but with a word he subdued him that punished them.

The Latin:

Omnia idóla natiónum deos æstimavérunt,
quibus neque oculórum usus est ad vidéndum,
neque nares ad percipiéndum spíritum,
neque aures ad audiéndum,
neque dígiti mánuum ad tractándum,
sed et pedes eórum pigri ad ambulándum.
Homo enim fecit illos ;
et qui spíritum mutuátus est, is finxit illos.
Nemo enim sibi símilem homo póterit deum fíngere.

The English:

They have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods,
which neither have the use of eyes to see,
nor noses to draw breath,
nor ears to hear,
nor fingers of hands to handle,
and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.
For man made them:
and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them.
For no man can make a god like to himself.

[Wisdom spends a lot of time with the abominable sin of idolatry. This is important in our age, when people like to think that all religions are equal. Yesterday, I saw a man pay homage to two pictures: one the picture of a man with the head of an elephant who the Hindus call Ganesh and the other the picture of some local saint who people revere but most of them cannot tell me why. In Wis 14, there are some outlines of how a pagan diety is formed.]

The Latin:

Da mihi sédium tuárum assistrícem sapiéntiam, et noli me reprobáre a púeris tuis :
quóniam servus tuus sum ego, et fílius ancíllæ tuæ ; homo infírmus, et exígui témporis, et minor ad intelléctum iudícii et legum.

The English:

Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne, and cast me not off from among thy children: For I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, a weak man, and of short time, and falling short of the understanding of judgment and laws.

[Wisdom 9 is a beautiful little prayer of Solomon. What caught my eye was this verse, spoken by Jim Caviezel in the Passion when he is given the cross (italicised). A new convert to Christianity I was watching the movie with could not explain what it was doing in the movie, since it doesn't form part of the Gospel account. But a lot in the movie doesn't, because the storyline adapts mystical visions, also.]

The Latin:

Est enim in illa spíritus intelligéntiæ,
sanctus, únicus, múltiplex, súbtilis,
disértus, móbilis, incoinquinátus, certus,
suávis, amans bonum, acútus,
quem nihil vetat, benefáciens,
humánus, benígnus, stábilis, certus, secúrus,
omnem habens virtútem, ómnia prospíciens,
et qui cápiat omnes spíritus,
intelligíbilis, mundus, súbtilis.

The English:

For in her is the spirit of understanding:
holy, one, manifold, subtile,
eloquent, active, undefiled, sure,
sweet, loving that which is good, quick,
which nothing hindereth, beneficent,
Gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure,
having all power, overseeing all things,
and containing all spirits,
intelligible, pure, subtile.

[I've been busy and frankly a little depressed for a while. My reading has recommenced and here is some more from the Wisdom of Solomon. Here described is the 'spirit of understanding'.]

The Latin:

Videámus ergo si sermónes illíus úeri sint,
et tentémus quæ uentúra sunt illi,
et sciémus quæ erunt nouíssima illíus.
Si enim est úerus fílius Dei, suscípiet illum,
et liberábit eum de mánibus contrariórum.

The English:

Let us see then if his words be true,
and let us prove what shall happen to him,
and we shall know what his end shall be.
For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him,
and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.

The Latin:

Vánitas uanitátum, dixit Ecclesiástes ;
uánitas uanitátum, et ómnia uánitas.

The English:

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes
vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

The Latin:

Fallax grátia, et uána est pulchritúdo :
múlier timens Dóminum, ipsa laudábitur.
Date ei de fructu mánuum suárum,
et laudent eam in portis ópera eíus.

The English:

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands:
and let her works praise her in the gates.