Showing posts with label Te Deum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Te Deum. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Song of the Three Young Men

 
Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
And blessed is Your glorious and holy Name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed are You in the Temple of Your holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
Blessed are You who looks upon the depths, and sits upon the Cherubim [fiery angels; statues of these were atop the Ark of the Covenant in the Jewish Temple]: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed are You on the glorious Throne of Your kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
Blessed are You in the vaults of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified for ever.
O all you works of the Lord, bless  the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you heavens, bless  the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you waters above the heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you Sun and Moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O every shower and dew, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you winds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you fire and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you dews and storms of snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you ice and cold, bless  the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you frost and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you lightning and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you mountains and little hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you things that grow on the earth, bless  the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you whales and all that move in the waters, bless  the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you birds of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever...
O you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
O you holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt Him above all for ever...
O give thanks unto the Lord, because He is gracious: for His loving-kindness lasts forever.
 
--the alleged song of the men who sang while in the fiery furnace.  From an apocryphal section inserted after Daniel 3:23.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Holy God, We Praise Your Name

[a hymnodic paraphrase of the ancient chant, the Te Deum]

Holy God, we praise Your Name;
Lord of all, we bow before You!
All on earth Your scepter claim*,
All in Heaven above adore You;
Infinite Your vast domain,
Everlasting is Your reign.

Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord.

Lo! the apostolic train
Join the sacred Name to hallow;
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white robed martyrs** follow;
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song goes on.

You are King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
For us sinners sacrificed,
Bringing us a sanctuary:
First to break the bars of death,
You have opened Heaven to faith.

Therefore do we pray You, Lord:
Help Your servants whom, redeeming
By Your precious blood out-poured,
You have saved from Satan’s scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
In the glory of the blest.

Spare Your people, Lord, we pray,
By a thousand snares surrounded:
Keep us from falling away,
Never let us be confounded.
See, I put my trust in You:
Guide my footsteps in all that I do.

Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit,
Three we name You;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim You;
And adoring bend the knee,

While we own the mystery.
---Ignaz Franz (German), 1774; adapted Marie Byars, 2008

*more specifically, all of nature & all the saved acknowledge Him willingly now; someday, everyone will be made to acknowledge Him
**"martyrs": those who died as a result of their faith, giving a powerful Christian witness. ("Martyros" in Greek originally meant "witness.")

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Te Deum Laudamus

("We Praise You, O God", an ancient liturgical text)

We praise You, O God; We acknowledge You to be the Lord.
All the earth worships You, O Father Everlasting.
To You all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein;
To the the cherubim and seraphim continually call out.

The noble army of the martyrs praises You:
The Holy Church throughout all the world acknowledges You,
O Father of infinite majesty, along with Your true and venerable only Son,
And, also, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

When You took it upon Yourself to deliver humanity,
You humbled Yourself to be born of a virgin.
When You had overcome the darkness of death,
You opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

We pray You, therefore, to help Your servants,
Those whom You have redeemed by Your precious blood.
Make us to be counted as Your saints
In glory everlasting.

O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance.
Govern them and lift them up forever.
Day by day we glorify You,
And we worship Your name forever in unending ages.