Sapientia laudabit animam suam, et in Deo honorabitur, et in medio populi sui gloriabitur,

Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,

Hear now how wisdom speaks in her own regard, of the honour God has given her, of the boast she utters among the nation that is hers.

et in ecclesiis Altissimi aperiet os suum, et in conspectu virtutis illius gloriabitur,

And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,

In the court of the most High, in the presence of all his host, she makes her boast aloud,

et in medio populi sui exaltabitur, et in plenitudine sancta admirabitur,

And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.

and here, amid the holy gathering of her own people, that high renown of hers is echoed;

et in multitudine electorum habebit laudem, et inter benedictos benedicetur, dicens:

And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:

praise is hers from God’s chosen, blessing from blessed lips.

Ego ex ore Altissimi prodivi, primogenita ante omnem creaturam.

I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:

I am that word, she says, that was uttered by the mouth of the most High, the primal birth before ever creation began.

Ego feci in cælis ut oriretur lumen indeficiens, et sicut nebula texi omnem terram.

I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:

Through me light rose in the heavens, inexhaustible; it was I that covered, as with a mist, the earth.

Ego in altissimis habitavi, et thronus meus in columna nubis.

I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.

In high heaven was my dwelling-place, my throne a pillar of cloud;

Gyrum cæli circuivi sola, et profundum abyssi penetravi: in fluctibus maris ambulavi.

I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea,

none but I might span the sky’s vault, pierce the depth of the abyss, walk on the sea’s waves;

Et in omni terra steti: et in omni populo,

And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,

no part of earth but gave a resting-place to my feet.

et in omni gente primatum habui:

And in every nation I have had the chief rule:

People was none, nor any race of men, but I had dominion there;

et omnium excellentium et humilium corda virtute calcavi. Et in his omnibus requiem quæsivi, et in hæreditate Domini morabor.

And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.

high and low, my power ruled over men’s hearts. Yet with all these I sought rest in vain; it is among the Lord’s people that I mean to dwell.

Tunc præcepit, et dixit mihi Creator omnium: et qui creavit me, requievit in tabernaculo meo.

Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,

He who fashioned me, he, my own Creator, has found me a dwelling-place;

Et dixit mihi: In Jacob inhabita, et in Israël hæreditare, et in electis meis mitte radices.

And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.

and his command to me was that I should find my home in Jacob, throw in my lot with Israel, take root among his chosen race.

Ab initio et ante sæcula creata sum, et usque ad futurum sæculum non desinam: et in habitatione sancta coram ipso ministravi.

From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him.

From the beginning of time, before the worlds, he had made me, unfailing to all eternity; in his own holy dwelling-place I had waited on his presence;

Et sic in Sion firmata sum, et in civitate sanctificata similiter requievi, et in Jerusalem potestas mea.

And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.

and now, no less faithfully, I made Sion my stronghold, the holy city my resting-place, Jerusalem my throne.

Et radicavi in populo honorificato, et in parte Dei mei hæreditas illius, et in plenitudine sanctorum detentio mea.

And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

My roots spread out among the people that enjoys his favour, my God has granted me a share in his own domain; where his faithful servants are gathered I love to linger.

Quasi cedrus exaltata sum in Libano, et quasi cypressus in monte Sion:

I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.

I grew to my full stature as cedar grows on Lebanon, as cypress on Sion’s hill;

quasi palma exaltata sum in Cades, et quasi plantatio rosæ in Jericho:

I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:

or a palm tree in Cades, or a rose bush in Jericho;

quasi oliva speciosa in campis, et quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta aquam in plateis.

As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.

grew like some fair olive in the valley, some plane-tree in a well-watered street.

Sicut cinnamomum et balsamum aromatizans odorem dedi; quasi myrrha electa dedi suavitatem odoris:

I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:

Cinnamon and odorous balm have no scent like mine; the choicest myrrh has no such fragrance.

et quasi storax, et galbanus, et ungula, et gutta, et quasi Libanus non incisus vaporavi habitationem meam, et quasi balsamum non mistum odor meus.

And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm.

Perfumed is all my dwelling-place with storax, and galbanum, and onycha, and stacte, and frankincense uncrushed; the smell of me is like pure balm.

Ego quasi terebinthus extendi ramos meos, et rami mei honoris et gratiæ.

I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.

Mastic-tree spread not its branches so wide, as I the hopes I proffer of glory and of grace.

Ego quasi vitis fructificavi suavitatem odoris: et flores mei fructus honoris et honestatis.

As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.

No vine ever yielded fruit so fragrant; the enjoyment of honour and riches is the fruit I bear.

Ego mater pulchræ dilectionis, et timoris, et agnitionis, et sanctæ spei.

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.

It is I that give birth to all noble loving, all reverence, all true knowledge, and the holy gift of hope.

In me gratia omnis viæ et veritatis: in me omnis spes vitæ et virtutis.

In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

From me comes every grace of faithful observance, from me all promise of life and vigour.

Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini:

Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.

Hither turn your steps, all you that have learned to long for me; take your fill of the increase I yield.

spiritus enim meus super mel dulcis, et hæreditas mea super mel et favum.

For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.

Never was honey so sweet as the influence I inspire, never honey-comb as the gift I bring;

Memoria mea in generatione sæculorum.

My memory is unto everlasting generations.

mine is a renown that endures, age after age.

Qui edunt me, adhuc esurient, et qui bibunt me, adhuc sitient.

They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.

Eat of this fruit, and you will yet hunger for more; drink of this wine, and your thirst for it is still unquenched.

Qui audit me non confundetur, et qui operantur in me non peccabunt:

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.

He who listens to me will never be disappointed; he who lives by me will do no wrong;

qui elucidant me, vitam æternam habebunt.

They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

he who reads my lesson aright will find in it life eternal.

Hæc omnia liber vitæ, et testamentum Altissimi, et agnitio veritatis.

All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.

What things are these I write of? What but the life-giving book that is the covenant of the most High, and the revelation of all truth?

Legem mandavit Moyses in præceptis justitiarum, et hæreditatem domui Jacob, et Israël promissiones.

Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.

What but the law Moses enjoined, with the duties it prescribes, the inheritance it bestows, the promises it holds out?

Posuit David, puero suo, excitare regem ex ipso fortissimum, et in throno honoris sedentem in sempiternum.

He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.

Solemnly he pledged himself to give his servant David an heir most valiant, that should hold his royal throne for ever.

Qui implet quasi Phison sapientiam, et sicut Tigris in diebus novorum:

Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.

Who but he can make wisdom flow, deep as the stream Phison sends down, or Tigris, in the spring;

qui adimplet quasi Euphrates sensum, qui multiplicat quasi Jordanis in tempore messis:

Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.

make the tide of prudence run, strong as Euphrates’ own, or Jordan’s tide in the month of harvest;

qui mittit disciplinam sicut lucem, et assistens quasi Gehon in die vindemiæ.

Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.

make obedience rise to its full height, like Nile or Gehon when men gather the vintage?

Qui perficit primus scire ipsam, et infirmior non investigabit eam.

Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.

He it was that first attained to wisdom’s secret, never since made known to any less than himself;

A mari enim abundavit cogitatio ejus, et consilium illius ab abysso magna.

For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.

so deep are her thoughts, sea-deep, so dark her counsels, dark as the great abyss.

Ego sapientiam effudi flumina:

I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.

From me rivers flow, says Wisdom, deep rivers.

ego quasi trames aquæ immensæ de fluvio: ego quasi fluvii dioryx, et sicut aquæductus exivi de paradiso.

I, like a brook out of a river of a mighty water; I, like a channel of a river, and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise.

And what am I? A conduit that carries off the river’s overflow, its channel, the aqueduct that waters a park.

Dixi: Rigabo hortum meum plantationum, et inebriabo prati mei fructum.

I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow.

I thought to refresh my well-set garden, give drink to the fruits that fringe its border;

Et ecce factus est mihi trames abundans, et fluvius meus appropinquavit ad mare:

And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:

and all at once my channel overflowed, this stream of mine had nigh turned into a sea!

quoniam doctrinam quasi antelucanum illumino omnibus, et enarrabo illam usque ad longinquum.

For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.

Teaching is here like the dawn for brightness, shedding its rays afar.

Penetrabo omnes inferiores partes terræ, et inspiciam omnes dormientes, et illuminabo omnes sperantes in Domino.

I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.

Nay, I will make my way down to the depths of earth, and visit those who sleep there, and to such as trust in the Lord I will bring light.

Adhuc doctrinam quasi prophetiam effundam, et relinquam illam quærentibus sapientiam, et non desinam in progenies illorum usque in ævum sanctum.

I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age.

My teaching shall yet flow on, faithful as prophecy, heirloom to all such as make wisdom their quest, and to their children yet, until the holy days come.

Videte quoniam non soli mihi laboravi, sed omnibus exquirentibus veritatem.

See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.

See how I have toiled, not for my own sake merely, but for all such as covet wisdom!