Latin Text Selections

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:

Tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae,
Tu rite promissum Patris, sermone ditans guttura!

The English:

Thou who art seven-fold in thy grace, Finger of God’s right hand,
His promise, teaching little ones to speak and understand!

[From the 1960 Saint Andrew Daily Missal by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B. and the monks of St. Andrew's abbey.]

An interesting looking new blog: http://officiumparvum.blogspot.com/.

The Latin:

Qui diceris Paraclitus, altissimi donum Dei.
Fons vivus, ignis, caritas, et spiritalis unctio!

The English:

Thou who art called the Paraclete, best gift of God above.
The living spring, the living fire, sweet unction and true love!

[From the 1960 Saint Andrew Daily Missal by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B. and the monks of St. Andrew's abbey.]

The Latin:

Veni, Creator Spiritus, mentes tuorum visita!
Imple superna gratia quae tu creasti pectora!

The English:

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator come, from thy bright heavenly throne!
Come take possession of our souls and make them all thine own!

[From the 1960 Saint Andrew Daily Missal by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B. and the monks of St. Andrew's abbey.]

The Latin:

Vos enim in libertátem uocáti estis, fratres : tantum ne libertátem in occasiónem detis carnis, sed per caritátem Spíritus serúite inúicem. Omnis enim lex in uno sermóne implétur : Díliges próximum tuum sicut teípsum. Quod si inúicem mordétis, et coméditis : uidéte ne ab inúicem consumámini. Dico autem : Spíritu ambuláte, et desidéria carnis non perficiétis.

The English:

For you, brethren, have been called unto liberty: only make not liberty an occasion to the flesh, but by charity of the spirit serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if you bite and devour one another; take heed you be not consumed one of another. I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

The Latin:

Quod cum uidísset Simon Petrus, prócidit ad génua Iésu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccátor sum, Dómine. Stupor enim circumdéderat eum, et omnes qui cum illo erant, in captúra píscium, quam céperant.

The English:

Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.

[What is our Lord's reply? The reply of the angels. "Do not fear". Something I wonder about is the translation of 'stupor' as 'astonished'. It should be more like 'fear'. The translation, as always, is from the Douay-Rheims.]

The Latin:

…misit ad eum centúrio amícos, dicens : Dómine, noli uexári : non enim sum dignus ut sub tectum meum intres : propter quod et meípsum non sum dignum arbitrátus ut uenírem ad te : sed dic uérbo, et sanábitur puer meus. Nam et ego homo sum sub potestáte constitútus, habens sub me mílites; et dico huic, Vade, et uádit; et álii, Veni, et úenit; et séruo meo, Fac hoc, et facit.

The English:

…the centurion sent his friends to him, saying: Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. For which cause neither did I think myself worthy to come to thee; but say the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers: and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth it.

The Latin:

Ecce pósitus est hic in ruínam et in resurrectiónem multórum in Ísraël, et in signum cui contradicétur : et tuam ipsíus ánimam pertransíbit gládius ut reueléntur ex multis córdibus cogitatiónes.

The English:

Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

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:

Nolíte timére : ecce enim euangelízo uóbis gáudium magnum, quod erit omni pópulo : quia natus est uóbis hódie Saluátor, qui est Christus Dóminus, in ciuitáte Dauid. Et hoc uóbis signum : inueniétis infántem pannis inuolútum, et pósitum in præsépio.

The English:

Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.

[To poor shepherds at night came the glad tidings centuries of men had yearned for. Notice that, mostly always, the angels begin their declarations with 'fear not'. Evangelizare means to preach or declare. (Whitaker's Words)]

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.

The Latin:

Quis ascéndit in cælum, atque descéndit ?
quis contínuit spíritum in mánibus suis ?
quis colligáuit aquas quasi in uestiménto ?
quis suscitáuit omnes términos terræ ?
quod nomen est eíus, et quod nomen fílii eíus, si nosti ?

The English:

Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?
who hath held the wind in his hands?
who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment?
who hath raised up all the borders of the earth?
what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?

[The first question is used by the Lord in an argument in the Gospels.]

The Latin:

Viri Galilǽi, quid statis aspiciéntes in cælum ? Hic Iésus, qui assúmptus est a uóbis in cælum, sic uéniet quemádmodum uidístis eum eúntem in cælum.

The English:

Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven.

The Latin:

Tunc ángelus Ráphaël dixit ei : Audi me, et osténdam tibi qui sunt, quibus præuálere potest dæmónium. Hi namque qui coniúgium ita suscípiunt, ut Deum a se et a sua mente exclúdant, et suæ libídini ita uácent sicut equus et mulus quibus non est intelléctus : habet potestátem dæmónium super eos.

The English:

Then the angel Raphael said to him: Hear me, and I will shew thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail. For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power.

The Latin:

1. Qui abscóndit scélera sua non dirigétur; qui autem conféssus fúerit et relíquerit ea, misericórdiam consequétur. [13]

2. Vir qui festínat ditári, et áliis inúidet, ignórat quod egéstas superuéniet ei. [22]

The English:

1. He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.

2. A man, that maketh haste to be rich, and envieth others, is ignorant that poverty shall come upon him.

The Latin:

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia:
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

The English:

O Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia:
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,
Hath arisen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

[The pronunciation of caeli is 'chay-li', I believe. I remember memorising the Regina caeli in Cathechism as a child. It was spelt 'coeli', so I used to call it Regina co-ay-li. I memorised it in English, of course. What wonders prayers taught in Latin to little children could do!]

The Latin:

Érue eos qui ducúntur ad mortem,
et qui trahúntur ad intéritum, liberáre ne cesses.
Si díxeris : Vires non súppetunt ;
qui inspéctor est cordis ipse intélligit :
et seruatórem ánimæ tuæ nihil fallit,
reddétque hómini iúxta ópera sua.

The English:

Deliver them that are led to death:
and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
If thou say: I have not strength enough:
he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth,
and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul,
and he shall render to a man according to his works.

The Latin:

1. Mélius est nomen bonum quam diuítiæ multæ; super argéntum et aurum grátia bona. [22:1]

2. Eíice derisórem, et exíbit cum eo iúrgium, cessabúntque causæ et contuméliæ. [22:10]

3. Ne érigas óculos tuos ad opes quas non potes habére, quia fácient sibi pennas quasi áquilæ, et uolábunt in cælum. [23:5]

4. Noli subtráhere a púero disciplínam: si enim percússeris eum uírga, non moriétur. Tu uírga percúties eum, et ánimam eíus de inférno liberábis. [23:13, 14]

5. Audi patrem tuum, qui génuit te, et ne contémnas cum senúerit mater tua. [23:22]

6. Veritátem eme, et noli uéndere sapiéntiam, et doctrínam, et intelligéntiam. [23:23]

The English:

1. A good name is better than great riches: and good favour is above silver and gold.

2. Cast out the scoffer, and contention shall go out with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease.

3. Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards heaven.

4. Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell.

5. Hearken to thy father, that beget thee: and despise not thy mother when she is old.

6. Buy truth, and do not sell wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

[The end of Proverb 23 seems to discuss drunkenness. I can't identify; I don't drink alcohol.]

The Latin:

Dei enim miníster est : uíndex in iram ei qui malum agit. Ídeo necessitáte súbditi estóte non solum propter iram, sed étiam propter consciéntiam.

The English:

For he [the higher power, a prince] is God’s minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

[This beginning with 'Let all souls be subject to higher powers'.]