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

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

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

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

amictus lumine sicut vestimento. Extendens cælum sicut pellem,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abyssus sicut vestimentum amictus ejus; super montes stabunt aquæ.

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

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

Ab increpatione tua fugient; a voce tonitrui tui formidabunt.

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

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

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

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

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

Terminum posuisti quem non transgredientur, neque convertentur operire terram.

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

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

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

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

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

Potabunt omnes bestiæ agri; expectabunt onagri in siti sua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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.

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

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.

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

Saturabuntur ligna campi, et cedri Libani quas plantavit:

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

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

illic passeres nidificabunt: herodii domus dux est eorum.

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

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

Montes excelsi cervis; petra refugium herinaciis.

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

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

Fecit lunam in tempora; sol cognovit occasum suum.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Omnia a te expectant ut des illis escam in tempore.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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