Canticum graduum.

(A song of ascents. Of David.)

A gradual canticle.

Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israël,

If the Lord had not been on our side, Israel may boast,

If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say:

nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis: cum exsurgerent homines in nos,

if the Lord had not been on our side when human foes assailed us,

If it had not been that the Lord was with us, When men rose up against us,

forte vivos deglutissent nos; cum irasceretur furor eorum in nos,

it seemed as if they must have swallowed us up alive, so fierce their anger threatened us.

perhaps they had swallowed us up alive. When their fury was enkindled against us,

forsitan aqua absorbuisset nos;

It seemed as if the tide must have sucked us down, the torrent closed above us;

perhaps the waters had swallowed us up.

torrentem pertransivit anima nostra; forsitan pertransisset anima nostra aquam intolerabilem.

closed above us the waters that ran so high.

Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable.

Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in captionem dentibus eorum.

Blessed be the Lord, who has not let us fall a prey to those ravening mouths!

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth.

Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium; laqueus contritus est, et nos liberati sumus.

Safe, like a bird rescued from the fowler’s snare; the snare is broken and we are safe!

Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered.

Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini, qui fecit cælum et terram.

Such help is ours, the Lord’s help, that made heaven and earth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.