God of our fathers, Lord of all mercy, thou by thy word hast made all things,

God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word,

Deus patrum meorum, et Domine misericordiæ, qui fecisti omnia verbo tuo,

and thou in thy wisdom hast contrived man to rule thy creation,

And by thy wisdom hast appointed man, that he should have dominion over the creature that was made by thee,

et sapientia tua constituisti hominem, ut dominaretur creaturæ quæ a te facta est,

to order the world by a law of right living and of just dealing, and give true award in the honest purpose of his heart.

That he should order the world according to equity and justice, and execute justice with an upright heart:

ut disponat orbem terrarum in æquitate et justitia, et in directione cordis judicium judicet:

Wisdom I ask of thee, the same wisdom that dwells so near thy throne; do not grudge me a place among thy retinue.

Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne, and cast me not off from among thy children:

da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam, et noli me reprobare a pueris tuis:

Am I not thy servant, and to thy service born? Mortal man thou seest me, the puny creature of an hour, a mind unapt for judgement and the making of laws.

For I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, a weak man, and of short time, and falling short of the understanding of judgment and laws.

quoniam servus tuus sum ego, et filius ancillæ tuæ; homo infirmus, et exigui temporis, et minor ad intellectum judicii et legum.

Grow man to what perfection he will, if he lacks the wisdom that comes from thee, he is nothing;

For if one be perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded.

Nam etsi quis erit consummatus inter filios hominum, si ab illo abfuerit sapientia tua, in nihilum computabitur.

and me thou hast chosen to reign over thy people; from me sons and daughters of thine must seek for redress!

Thou hast chosen me to be king of thy people, and a judge of thy sons and daughters.

Tu elegisti me regem populo tuo, et judicem filiorum tuorum et filiarum:

More than this, thou hast bidden me raise thee temple and altar, upon this mountain, in the holy city where thou dwellest, model of that holy tabernacle, made long ago, whose pattern was of thy own devising.

And hast commanded me to build a temple on thy holy mount, and an altar in the city of thy dwelling place, a resemblance of thy holy tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning:

et dixisti me ædificare templum in monte sancto tuo, et in civitate habitationis tuæ altare: similitudinem tabernaculi sancti tui quod præparasti ab initio.

Wisdom was with thee then, privy to all thy designs, she who stood by thee at the world’s creation, and knows thy whole will, the whole tenour of thy commandments.

And thy wisdom with thee, which knoweth thy works, which then also was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was agreeable to thy eyes, and what was right in thy commandments.

Et tecum sapientia tua, quæ novit opera tua, quæ et affuit tunc cum orbem terrarum faceres, et sciebat quid esset placitum oculis tuis, et quid directum in præceptis tuis.

From that heavenly sanctuary, that high throne of thine, send her out still on thy errand, to be at my side too, and share my labours! How else should thy will be made clear to me?

Send her out of thy holy heaven, and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and may labour with me, that I may know what is acceptable with thee:

Mitte illam de cælis sanctis tuis, et a sede magnitudinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum laboret, ut sciam quid acceptum sit apud te:

For her, no secret, no riddle is too dark; her prudent counsel will be my guide, the fame of her my protection.

For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and shall lead me soberly in my works, and shall preserve me by her power.

scit enim illa omnia, et intelligit, et deducet me in operibus meis sobrie, et custodiet me in sua potentia.

So shall my task be accomplished as thou wouldst have it be; so shall I give this people of thine just awards, no unworthy heir of the throne my father left me.

So shall my works be acceptable, and I shall govern thy people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne of my father.

Et erunt accepta opera mea, et disponam populum tuum juste, et ero dignus sedium patris mei.

What God’s purpose is, how should man discover, how should his mind master the secret of the divine will?

For who among men is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of God is?

Quis enim hominum poterit scire consilium Dei? aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Deus?

So hesitating our human thoughts, so hazardous our conjectures!

For the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain.

Cogitationes enim mortalium timidæ, et incertæ providentiæ nostræ;

Ever the soul is weighed down by a mortal body, earth-bound cell that clogs the manifold activity of its thought.

For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind that museth upon many things.

corpus enim quod corrumpitur aggravat animam, et terrena inhabitatio deprimit sensum multa cogitantem.

Hard enough to read the riddle of our life here, with laborious search ascertaining what lies so close to hand; and would we trace out heaven’s mysteries too?

And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth: and with labour do we find the things that are before us. But the things that are in heaven, who shall search out?

Et difficile æstimamus quæ in terra sunt, et quæ in prospectu sunt invenimus cum labore: quæ autem in cælis sunt, quis investigabit?

Thy purposes none may know, unless thou dost grant thy gift of wisdom, sending out from high heaven thy own holy spirit.

And who shall know thy thought, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above:

Sensum autem tuum, quis sciet, nisi tu dederis sapientiam, et miseris spiritum sanctum tuum de altissimis,

Thus ever were men guided by the right way, here on earth, and learned to know thy will;

And so the ways of them that are upon earth may be corrected, and men may learn the things that please thee?

et sic correctæ sint semitæ eorum qui sunt in terris, et quæ tibi placent didicerint homines?

ever since the world began wisdom was the salve they used, that have won thy favour.

For by wisdom they were healed, whosoever have pleased thee, O Lord, from the beginning.

Nam per sapientiam sanati sunt quicumque placuerunt tibi, Domine, a principio.