Ipsi David.
Benedic, anima mea, Domino: Domine Deus meus, magnificatus es vehementer. Confessionem et decorem induisti,

For David himself.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty:

Bless the Lord, my soul; O Lord my God, what magnificence is thine! Glory and beauty are thy clothing.

amictus lumine sicut vestimento. Extendens cælum sicut pellem,

and art clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:

The light is a garment thou dost wrap about thee, the heavens a curtain thy hand unfolds.

qui tegis aquis superiora ejus: qui ponis nubem ascensum tuum; qui ambulas super pennas ventorum:

who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.

The waters of heaven are thy ante-chamber, the clouds thy chariot; on the wings of the wind thou dost come and go.

qui facis angelos tuos spiritus, et ministros tuos ignem urentem.

Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire.

Thou wilt have thy angels be like the winds, the servants that wait on thee like a flame of fire.

Qui fundasti terram super stabilitatem suam: non inclinabitur in sæculum sæculi.

Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever.

The earth thou hast planted on its own firm base, undisturbed for all time.

Abyssus sicut vestimentum amictus ejus; super montes stabunt aquæ.

The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand.

The deep once covered it, like a cloak; the waters stood high above the mountains,

Ab increpatione tua fugient; a voce tonitrui tui formidabunt.

At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear.

then cowered before thy rebuking word, fled away at thy voice of thunder,

Ascendunt montes, et descendunt campi, in locum quem fundasti eis.

The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them.

leaving the mountain heights to rise, the valleys to sink into their appointed place!

Terminum posuisti quem non transgredientur, neque convertentur operire terram.

Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.

And to these waters thou hast given a frontier they may not pass; never must they flow back, and cover the earth again.

Qui emittis fontes in convallibus; inter medium montium pertransibunt aquæ.

Thou sendest forth springs in the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass.

Yet there shall be torrents flooding the glens, water-courses among the hills

Potabunt omnes bestiæ agri; expectabunt onagri in siti sua.

All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.

that give drink to every wild beast; here the wild asses may slake their thirst.

Super ea volucres cæli habitabunt; de medio petrarum dabunt voces.

Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.

The birds of heaven, too, will roost beside them; vocal is every bough with their music.

Rigans montes de superioribus suis; de fructu operum tuorum satiabitur terra:

Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works:

From thy high dwelling-place thou dost send rain upon the hills; thy hand gives earth all her plenty.

producens fœnum jumentis, et herbam servituti hominum, ut educas panem de terra,

Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:

Grass must grow for the cattle; for man, too, she must put forth her shoots, if he is to bring corn out from her bosom;

et vinum lætificet cor hominis: ut exhilaret faciem in oleo, et panis cor hominis confirmet.

and that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man’s heart.

if there is to be wine that will rejoice man’s heart, oil to make his face shine, and bread that will keep man’s strength from failing.

Saturabuntur ligna campi, et cedri Libani quas plantavit:

The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

Moisture there must be for the forest trees, for the cedars of Lebanon, trees of the Lord’s own planting.

illic passeres nidificabunt: herodii domus dux est eorum.

there the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest of them is the house of the heron.

Here it is the birds build their nests; the stork makes its home in the fir-branches;

Montes excelsi cervis; petra refugium herinaciis.

The high hills are a refuge for the harts, the rock for the irchins.

finds refuge there such as the goats find in the high hills, the coney in its cave.

Fecit lunam in tempora; sol cognovit occasum suum.

He hath made the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

He has given us the moon for our calendar; the sun knows well the hour of his setting.

Posuisti tenebras, et facta est nox; in ipsa pertransibunt omnes bestiæ silvæ:

Thou hast appointed darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:

Thou dost decree darkness, and the night falls; in the night all the forest is astir with prowling beasts;

catuli leonum rugientes ut rapiant, et quærant a Deo escam sibi.

The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from God.

the young lions go roaring after their prey, God’s pensioners, asking for their food.

Ortus est sol, et congregati sunt, et in cubilibus suis collocabuntur.

The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.

Then the sun rises, and they slink away to lie down in their dens,

Exibit homo ad opus suum, et ad operationem suam usque ad vesperum.

Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening.

while man goes abroad to toil and drudge till the evening.

Quam magnificata sunt opera tua, Domine! omnia in sapientia fecisti; impleta est terra possessione tua.

How great are thy works, O Lord ? thou hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches.

What diversity, Lord, in thy creatures! What wisdom has designed them all! There is nothing on earth but gives proof of thy creative power.

Hoc mare magnum et spatiosum manibus; illic reptilia quorum non est numerus: animalia pusilla cum magnis.

So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great.

There lies the vast ocean, stretching wide on every hand; this, too, is peopled with living things past number, great creatures and small;

Illic naves pertransibunt; draco iste quem formasti ad illudendum ei.

There the ships shall go. This sea dragon which thou hast formed to play therein.

the ships pass them on their course. Leviathan himself is among them; him, too, thou hast created to roam there at his pleasure.

Omnia a te expectant ut des illis escam in tempore.

All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.

And all look to thee to send them their food at the appointed time;

Dante te illis, colligent; aperiente te manum tuam, omnia implebuntur bonitate.

What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand, they shall all be filled with good.

it is through thy gift they find it, thy hand opens, and all are filled with content.

Avertente autem te faciem, turbabuntur; auferes spiritum eorum, et deficient, et in pulverem suum revertentur.

But if thou turnest away thy face, they shall be troubled: thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.

But see, thou hidest thy face, and they are dismayed; thou takest their life from them, and they breathe no more, go back to the dust they came from.

Emittes spiritum tuum, et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem terræ.

Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Then thou sendest forth thy spirit, and there is fresh creation; thou dost repeople the face of earth.

Sit gloria Domini in sæculum; lætabitur Dominus in operibus suis.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

Glory be to the Lord for ever; still let him take delight in his creatures.

Qui respicit terram, et facit eam tremere; qui tangit montes, et fumigant.

He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

One glance from him makes earth tremble; at his touch, the mountains are wreathed in smoke.

Cantabo Domino in vita mea; psallam Deo meo quamdiu sum.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

While life lasts, I will sing in the Lord’s honour; my praise shall be his while I have breath to praise him;

Jucundum sit ei eloquium meum; ego vero delectabor in Domino.

Let my speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.

oh, may this prayer with him find acceptance, in whom is all my content!

Deficiant peccatores a terra, et iniqui, ita ut non sint. Benedic, anima mea, Domino.

Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they be no more: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.

Perish all sinners from the land, let the wrong-doers be forgotten! But thou, my soul, bless the Lord. Alleluia.