Latin Text Selections

The Latin:

Salvum fac pópulum tuum, Dómine,
et bénedic hereditáti tuæ.
Et rege eos, et extólle illos
usque in ætérnum.

The English:

O Lord, save Thy people,
and bless Thine inheritance.
Rule over them, and lift them up
for ever.

The Latin:

Qui parcit uírgæ odit fílium suum ;
qui autem díligit illum instánter érudit.

The English:

He that spareth the rod hateth his son:
but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes.

The Latin:

De fructu oris sui homo satiábitur bonis :
ánima autem præuaricatórum iníqua.
Qui custódit os suum custódit ánimam suam ;
qui autem inconsiderátus est ad loquéndum, séntiet mala.
Verbum mendax iústus detestábitur ;
ímpius autem confúndit, et confundétur.

The English:

Of the fruit of his own mouth shall a man be filled with good things:
but the soul of transgressors is wicked.
He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul:
but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils.
The just shall hate a lying word:
but the wicked confoundeth, and shall be confounded.

Proceed to this website and read the title page, which asserts that you don’t even have to learn Latin to read much of the Vulgate, because English is so well based in Latin. That’s absolutely correct. They have the entire Vulgate available online.

The Latin:

Te ergo quǽsumus, tuis fámulis súbveni,
quos pretióso sánguine redemísti.
Ætérna fac cum sanctis tuis
in glória numerári.

The English:

We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants,
Whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints
In eternal glory.

So far, I have been posting interesting things I find in my daily stroll through the Vulgate, along with little bits from prayers and the occasional hymn to break any monotony felt from reading OT excerpts.

So. Is this helping anyone? Is anyone really reading the Latin? Are we wasting our time? Give me some comments and what you think could make this better. Please use the comments box.

Pax Christi.

The Latin:

Tu ad déxteram Dei sedes,
in glória Patris.
Iudex créderis esse ventúrus.

The English:

Thou sittest at the right hand of God
In the glory of the God the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

The Latin:

Simulátor ore décipit amícum suum ;
iústi autem liberabúntur sciéntia.
Benedictióne iustórum exaltábitur ciúitas,
et ore impiórum subuertétur.
Qui déspicit amícum suum índigens corde est ;
uir autem prudens tacébit.

The English:

The dissembler with his mouth deceiveth his friend:
but the just shall be delivered by knowledge.
By the blessing of the just the city shall be exalted:
and by the mouth of the wicked it shall be overthrown.
He that despiseth his friend, is mean of heart:
but the wise man will hold his peace.

The Latin:

Dóminus possédit me in inítio uiárum suárum
ántequam quidquam fáceret a princípio.
Ab ætérno ordináta sum,
et ex antíquis ántequam terra fíeret.

Cum eo eram, cuncta compónens.
Et delectábar per síngulos dies,
ludens coram eo omni témpore,
ludens in orbe terrárum ;
et delíciæ meæ esse cum fíliis hóminum.

The English:

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways,
before he made anything from the beginning.
I was set up from eternity,
and of old before the earth was made.

I was with him forming all things:
and was delighted every day,
playing before him at all times;
Playing in the world:
and my delights were to be with the children of men.

[These verses are composed with Wisdom as the narrator, but is not the Word of God Wisdom? Therefore, here is the Christ.]

The Latin:

Tu, ad liberándum susceptúrus hóminem,
non horrúisti Virginis úterum.
Tu, devícto mortis acúleo,
aperuísti credéntibus regna cælórum.

The English:

Thou, in undertaking the freeing of man,
Didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
Thou, having overcome the sting of death,
Didst open to believers the kingdom of heaven.

The Latin:

Mórtuus est ergo Eliséus, et sepeliérunt eum. Latrúnculi autem de Moab uenérunt in terram in ipso anno. Quidam autem sepeliéntes hóminem, uidérunt latrúnculos, et proiecérunt cadáuer in sepúlchro Eliséi. Quod cum tetigísset ossa Eliséi, reuíxit homo, et stetit super pedes suos.

The English:

And Eliseus died, and they buried him. And the rovers from Moab came into the land the same year. And some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his feet.

The Latin:

Tu rex glóriæ, Christe.
Tu Patris sempitérnus es Filius.

The English:

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

The Latin:

Váde ad fórmicam, o piger,
et consídera uías eíus, et disce sapiéntiam.
Quæ cum non hábeat ducem,
nec præceptórem, nec príncipem,
parat in æstáte cibum sibi,
et cóngregat in messe quod cómedat.

The English:

Go to the ant, O sluggard,
and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:
Which, although she hath no guide,
nor master, nor captain,
Provideth her meat for herself in the summer,
and gathereth her food in the harvest.

The Latin:

…sed Deus temperáuit corpus, ei cui déerat, abundantiórem tribuéndo honórem, ut non sit schisma in córpore, sed idípsum pro inúicem sollícita sint membra. Et si quid pátitur unum membrum, compatiúntur ómnia membra : siúe gloriátur unum membrum, congáudent ómnia membra.

The English:

…but God hath tempered the body together, giving to that which wanted the more abundant honour, that there might be no schism in the body; but the members might be mutually careful one for another. And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it; or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it.

The Latin:

Réspicit Dóminus uías hóminis,
et omnes gressus eíus consíderat.
Iniquitátes suas cápiunt ímpium,
et fúnibus peccatórum suórum constríngitur.
Ipse moriétur, quia non hábuit disciplínam,
et in multitúdine stultítiæ suæ decipiétur.

The English (D-R):

The Lord beholdeth the ways of man,
and considereth all his steps.
His own iniquities catch the wicked,
and he is fast bound with the ropes of his own sins.
He shall die, because he hath not received instruction,
and in the multitude of his folly he shall be deceived.

Some nice Latin recordings from the Cafeteria is Closed, containing:

“…various standard prayers in Latin and English, with some musical examples and translations, pronunciation and so forth.”

It’s high time to learn, especially since Papa really thinks you should.

The Latin:

Habe fidúciam in Dómino ex toto corde tuo,
et ne innitáris prudéntiæ tuæ.
In ómnibus uíis tuis cógita illum,
et ipse díriget gressus tuos.
Ne sis sápiens apud temetípsum ;
time Deum, et recéde a malo

The English:

Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart,
and lean not upon thy own prudence.
In all thy ways think on him,
and he will direct thy steps.
Be not wise in thy own conceit:
fear God, and depart from evil:

The Latin:

Timor Dómini princípium sapiéntiæ ;
sapiéntiam atque doctrínam stulti despíciunt.

The English:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Latin:

Laudáte Dóminum in sanctis eíus ;
laudáte eum in firmaménto uirtútis eíus.
Laudáte eum in uirtútibus eíus ;
laudáte eum secúndum multitúdinem magnitúdinis eíus.
Laudáte eum in sono tubæ ;
laudáte eum in psaltério et cíthara.
Laudáte eum in týmpano et choro ;
laudáte eum in chordis et órgano.
Laudáte eum in cýmbalis benesonántibus ;
laudáte eum in cýmbalis iubilatiónis.
Omnis spíritus laudet Dóminum !

The English (D-R):

Praise ye the Lord in his holy places:
praise ye him in the firmament of his power.
Praise ye him for his mighty acts:
praise ye him according to the multitude of his greatness.
Praise him with sound of trumpet:
praise him with psaltery and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and choir:
praise him with strings and organs.
Praise him on high sounding cymbals:
praise him on cymbals of joy:
let every spirit praise the Lord.

[There is nothing like a song of praise. Hosanna.]

The Latin:

Iubiláte Deo, omnis terra ;
serúite Dómino in lætítia.
Introíte in conspéctu eíus in exsultatióne.
Scitóte quóniam Dóminus ipse est Deus ;
ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos :
pópulus eíus, et oúes páscuæ eíus.

The English (D-R):

Sing joyfully to God, all the earth:
serve ye the Lord with gladness.
Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy.
Know ye that the Lord he is God:
he made us, and not we ourselves.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

[A popular hymn. Have I posted this before?

Update: Yes, I did. 2nd of February. What the hey, it's a nice Psalm.]

The Latin:

Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

The English:

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord, amen.

[Source: Keeping the Lord's Day]

“…In order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung. Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant…”

Most excellent. The bold formatting of the text is, of course, my own work.

Access the entire document right here.

The Latin:

Dóminus sóluit compedítos ;
Dóminus illúminat cæcos.
Dóminus érigit elísos ;
Dóminus díligit iústos.
Dóminus custódit adúenas,
pupíllum et uíduam suscípiet,
et uías peccatórum dispérdet.

The English (D-R):

The Lord looseth them that are fettered:
the Lord enlighteneth the blind.
The Lord lifteth up them that are cast down:
the Lord loveth the just.
The Lord keepeth the strangers,
he will support the fatherless and the widow:
and the ways of sinners he will destroy.

[Some vocabulary, with the power of God. Verbs are in italic, objects in bold.]

The Latin:

Cogitáui uías meas,
et conuérti pedes meos in testimónia tua.

The English:

I have thought on my ways:
and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

canticum, cantici

aria in Latin comedy, song

[Three of our well known canticles can be accessed here.]

The Latin:

Dómine, quid est homo, quia innotuísti ei ?
aut fílius hóminis, quia réputas eum ?
Homo uanitáti símilis factus est ;
dies eíus sicut umbra prætéreunt.

The English:

Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him?
or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
Man is like to vanity:
his days pass away like a shadow.

The Latin:

Clamáui ad te, Dómine ;
dixi : Tu es spes mea,
pórtio mea in terra uiuéntium.
Inténde ad deprecatiónem meam,
quia humiliátus sum nimis.
Líbera me a persequéntibus me,
quia confortáti sunt super me.

The English:

I cried to thee, O Lord:
I said: Thou art my hope,
my portion in the land of the living.
Attend to my supplication:
for I am brought very low.
Deliver me from my persecutors;
for they are stronger than I.

sacerdos, sacerdotis

priest, priestess

The Latin:

Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo,
quóniam audísti uérba oris mei.
In conspéctu angelórum psallam tibi

The English:

I will praise thee, O lord, with my whole heart:
for thou hast heard the words of my mouth.
I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels:

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.