Latin Text Selections

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.