Oratio Jesu filii Sirach. Confitebor tibi, Domine rex, et collaudabo te Deum salvatorem meum.

A PRAYER of Jesus the son of Sirach. I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour.

A prayer uttered by Jesus, son of Sirach. O Lord, my king, I give thee thanks, O God, my deliverer, I praise thee;

Confitebor nomini tuo, quoniam adjutor et protector factus es mihi,

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

I extol thy name, for all the succour and protection thou hast given me,

et liberasti corpus meum a perditione: a laqueo linguæ iniquæ, et a labiis operantium mendacium: et in conspectu astantium factus es mihi adjutor.

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.

saving my life from deadly peril, when calumny lay in wait, and lying tongues assailed me. In full sight of all that stood by thou didst come to my rescue;

Et liberasti me, secundum multitudinem misericordiæ nominis tui, a rugientibus præparatis ad escam:

And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from them that did roar, prepared to devour.

roaring lions stood ready to devour me, and thou in that great mercy, that renowned mercy of thine, didst deliver me.

de manibus quærentium animam meam, et de portis tribulationum quæ circumdederunt me;

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

I was in the hands of my mortal enemies, shut in on every side by misfortune;

a pressura flammæ quæ circumdedit me, et in medio ignis non sum æstuatus;

From the oppression of the flame which surrounded me, and in the midst of the fire I was not burnt.

there were stifling flames all round me, and I stood in the heart of the fire uninjured.

de altitudine ventris inferi, et a lingua coinquinata, et a verbo mendacii, a rege iniquo, et a lingua injusta.

From the depth of the belly of hell, and from an unclean tongue, and from lying words, from an unjust king, and from a slanderous tongue:

I looked down into the deep womb of the grave, when foul lips brought lying accusations, and cruel king gave unjust sentence.

Laudabit usque ad mortem anima mea Dominum,

My soul shall praise the Lord even to death.

And still I would praise the Lord, long as I had breath to praise him,

et vita mea appropinquans erat in inferno deorsum.

And my life was drawing near to hell beneath.

though death’s abyss yawned at my very feet,

Circumdederunt me undique, et non erat qui adjuvaret: respiciens eram ad adjutorium hominum, et non erat.

They compassed me on every side, and there was no one that would help me. I looked for the succour of men, and there was none.

though I was cut off on every side, with none to aid me. Man’s help I looked for, and could not find;

Memoratus sum misericordiæ tuæ Domine, et operationis tuæ, quæ a sæculo sunt:

I remembered thy mercy, O Lord, and thy works, which are from the beginning of the world.

yet I bethought me, Lord, of thy mercy, thy deeds of long ago;

quoniam eruis sustinentes te, Domine, et liberas eos de manibus gentium.

How thou deliverest them that wait for thee, O Lord, and savest them out of the hands of the nations.

if men will but wait for thee patiently, thou, Lord, dost deliver them, dost rescue them from the power of the heathen.

Exaltasti super terram habitationem meam, et pro morte defluente deprecatus sum.

Thou hast exalted my dwelling place upon the earth and I have prayed for death to pass away.

It was thou who hadst prospered my life on earth, and now, death ready to overwhelm me,

Invocavi Dominum patrem Domini mei, ut non derelinquat me in die tribulationis meæ, et in tempore superborum, sine adjutorio.

I called upon the Lord, the father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proud without help.

to the Lord, Father of the Master I serve, I made my plea. Would he leave me unaided when I was in distress, when my enemies were triumphing over me?

Laudabo nomen tuum assidue, et collaudabo illud in confessione: et exaudita est oratio mea,

I will praise thy name continually, and will praise it with thanksgiving, and my prayer was heard.

I will extol thy name unceasingly, with grateful praise; my prayer did not go unregarded.

et liberasti me de perditione, et eripuisti me de tempore iniquo.

And thou hast saved me from destruction, and hast delivered me from the evil time.

Thou didst rescue me from deadly peril, didst save me in the hour of defeat;

Propterea confitebor, et laudem dicam tibi, et benedicam nomini Domini.

Therefore I will give thanks, and praise thee, and bless the name of the Lord.

shall I not give thanks, shall I not praise and bless thy name?

Cum adhuc junior essem, priusquam oberrarem, quæsivi sapientiam palam in oratione mea.

When I was yet young, before I wandered about, I sought for wisdom openly in my prayer.

A young man still, ere ever my wanderings began, I made my prayer for wisdom.

Ante templum postulabam pro illis, et usque in novissimis inquiram eam: et effloruit tamquam præcox uva.

I prayed for her before the temple, and unto the very end I will seek after her, and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.

Before the temple I asked for this, my life’s quest to the end. Came early the ripening of those grapes,

Lætatum est cor meum in ea: ambulavit pes meus iter rectum: a juventute mea investigabam eam.

My heart delighted in her, my foot walked in the right way, from my youth up I sought after her.

and my heart rejoiced at it. Down a straight path I sped, the ardour of youth to aid my search.

Inclinavi modico aurem meam, et excepi illam.

I bowed down my ear a little, and received her.

Ear that little listens shall yet hear;

Multam inveni in meipso sapientiam, et multum profeci in ea.

I found much wisdom in myself, and I profited much therein.

much wisdom that little listening gave.

Danti mihi sapientiam dabo gloriam:

To him that giveth me wisdom, will I give glory.

Further and further yet I travelled, thanks be to the God that all wisdom bestows.

consiliatus sum enim ut facerem illam. Zelatus sum bonum, et non confundar.

For I have determined to follow her: I have had a zeal for good, and shall not be confounded.

Good use to make of her was all my love and longing; never was that hope disappointed.

Colluctata est anima mea in illa, et in faciendo eam confirmatus sum.

My soul hath wrestled for her, and in doing it I have been confirmed.

Hardily I strove to win her, put force on myself to keep her rule;

Manus meas extendi in altum, et insipientiam ejus luxi;

I stretched forth my hands on high, and I bewailed my ignorance of her.

I stretched out my hands towards heaven, and grieved for the want of her.

animam meam direxi ad illam, et in agnitione inveni eam.

I directed my soul to her, and in knowledge I found her.

Kept I but true to the search for her, I found and recognized her still.

Possedi cum ipsa cor ab initio: propter hoc, non derelinquar.

I possessed my heart with her from the beginning: therefore I shall not be forsaken.

Long since trained by her discipline, I shall never be left forsaken.

Venter meus conturbatus est quærendo illam: propterea bonam possidebo possessionem.

My entrails were troubled in seeking her: therefore shall I possess a good possession.

Much heart-burning I had in the quest for her, but a rich dowry she brought me.

Dedit mihi Dominus linguam mercedem meam, et in ipsa laudabo eum.

The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward: and with it I will praise him.

Never shall this tongue, with utterance divinely rewarded, be negligent of praise.

Appropiate ad me, indocti, et congregate vos in domum disciplinæ.

Draw near to me, ye unlearned, and gather yourselves together into the house of discipline.

O hearts untutored, come near, and frequent the school of learning!

Quid adhuc retardatis? et quid dicitis in his? animæ vestræ sitiunt vehementer.

Why are ye slow? and what do you say of these things? your souls are exceeding thirsty.

Parley at the gates no more, complaining of thirst ever unsatisfied.

Aperui os meum, et locutus sum: Comparate vobis sine argento,

I have opened my mouth, and have spoken: buy her for yourselves without silver,

Rather, to my proclamation give heed; win the treasure that is to be had without price paid.

et collum vestrum subjicite jugo: et suscipiat anima vestra disciplinam: in proximo est enim invenire eam.

And submit your neck to the yoke, and let your soul receive discipline: for she is near at hand to be found.

Suffice it that you bow your necks to her yoke, are content to accept her schooling. To find her, needs no distant travel …

Videte oculis vestris, quia modicum laboravi, et inveni mihi multam requiem.

Behold with your eyes how I have laboured a little, and have found much rest to myself.

Unlaborious days, as all can testify, what a harvest they have won me of repose!

Assumite disciplinam in multo numero argenti, et copiosum aurum possidete in ea.

Receive ye discipline as a great sum of money, and possess abundance of gold by her.

Would you grudge free expense of silver in the search for wisdom, that shall make you ample returns in gold?

Lætetur anima vestra in misericordia ejus, et non confundemini in laude ipsius.

Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and you shall not be confounded in his praise.

Your hearts shall yet triumph in his mercy, nor ever rue the day when you learned to praise him.

Work your work before the time, and he will give you your reward in his time.

Do, while time serves, what needs doing; when the time comes, he will reward you.