Prayer of Saint Augustine (Joseph G. Stephens)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Music files
ICON | SOURCE |
---|---|
File details | |
Help |
- Editor: Joseph G. Stephens (added 2000-07-11). Score information: Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: first line - 'Quid es ergo, Deus, meus?'
General Information
Title: Prayer of Saint Augustine
Composer: Joseph G. Stephens
Number of voices: 8vv Voicing: SSAATTBB
Genre: Sacred, Motet
Language: Latin
Instruments: a cappella
Published: composer
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
Latin text
- Quid est ergo deus meus? quid, rogo, nisi dominus deus? quis enim dominus praeter dominum?
- aut quis deus praeter deum nostrum? summe, optime, potentissime, omnipotentissime, misericordissime et iustissime, secretissime et praesentissime,
- pulcherrime et fortissime,stabilis et inconprehensibilis,
- inmutabilis, mutans omnia, numquam novus, numquam vetus, innovans omnia;
- in vetustatem perducens superboset nesciunt;
- semper agens, semper quietus, colligens et non egens, portans et implens et protegens,
- creans et nutriens, perficiens, quaerens, cum nihil desit tibi.
- amas nec aestuas, zelas et securus es; paenitet te et non doles,
- irasceris et tranquillus es, opera mutasnec mutas consilium;
- recipis quod invenis et numquam amisisti; numquaminops et gaudes lucris,
- numquam avarus et usuras exigis. supererogaturtibi, ut debeas,
- et quis habet quicquam non tuum? reddens debita nullidebens,
- donans debita nihil perdens.
- et quid diximus, deus meus, vita mea, dulcedo mea sancta,
- aut quid dicit aliquis, cum de te dicit?
- et vae tacentibus de te, quoniam loquaces muti sunt.
English translation
- From the Confessions of Augustine, Book I, Chapter 4
- What, then, art Thou, O my God--what, I ask, but the Lord God ?
- For who is Lord but the Lord? Or who is God save our God.
- Most high, most excellent, most potent, most omnipotent; most piteous and most just;
- most hidden and most near; most beauteous and most strong,
- stable, yet contained of none; unchangeable, yet changing all things;
- never new, never old; making all things new,
- yet bringing old age upon the proud and they know it not;
- always working, yet ever at rest; gathering, yet needing nothing;
- sustaining, pervading, and protecting; creating, nourishing, and developing;
- seeking, and yet possessing all things.
- Thou lovest, and burnest not; art jealous, yet free from care;
- repentest, and hast no sorrow; art angry, yet serene;
- changest Thy ways, leaving unchanged Thy plans;
- recoverest what Thou findest, having yet never lost;
- art never in want, whilst Thou rejoicest in gain;
- never covetous, though requiring usury?
- That Thou mayest owe, more than enough is given to Thee ;
- as yet who hath anything that is not Thine ?
- Thou payest debts while owing nothing;
- and when Thou forgivest debts, losest nothing.
- Yet, O my God, my life, my holy joy, what is this that I have said ?
- And what saith any man when He speaks of Thee ?
- Yet woe to them that keep silence, seeing that even they who say most are as the dumb?