Canterbury Cathedral.
Photo Credit: A. G. Baxter.
lllustration: SHUTTERSTOCK
The Solemn "Te Deum" is sung
on all occasions of public Church rejoicing.
Available on YouTube at
Text is taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless otherwise stated.
When was the last time you heard the "Te Deum" sung in your Church ?
Why not ask your Parish Priest (Pastor) to arrange to have it sung in your Church ?
The "Te Deum" Stained-Glass Window,
by Christopher Whall, Church of Saint Mary The Virgin,
Ware, Hertfordshire, England.
Source: http://www.flickr.com/
Author: Barking Tigs.
(Wikimedia Commons)
English: Saint Ambrose.
One of the Traditionally-ascribed authors
of the "Te Deum", together with Saint Augustine.
Deutsch: hl. Ambrosius.
Artist: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664).
Date: 1626-1627.
Current location: Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes,
Seville, Spain.
Note: Deutsch: Urspr. für den Konvent San Pablo, Sevilla, Auftraggeber: Prior Diego de Bordas.
Source/Photographer:
The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: [1].
(Wikimedia Commons)
The "Te Deum" (also known as "The Ambrosian Hymn" or "A Song of The Church") is an Early-Christian Hymn of Praise. The Title is taken from its opening Latin words, "Te Deum laudamus", rendered as "Thee, O God, we Praise".
The Hymn remains in regular use in the Catholic Church, in the Office of Readings (the Divine Office), found in the Liturgy of The Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special Blessing, such as the Election of a Pope, the Consecration of a Bishop, the Canonisation of a Saint, a Religious Profession, the publication of a Treaty of Peace, a Royal Coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or the Divine Office, or as a separate Religious Ceremony. The Hymn also remains in use in the Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches in similar settings.
In the Traditional Office, the "Te Deum" is sung at the end of Matins, on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass; those days are all Sundays, outside Advent, Septuagesima, Lent, and Passiontide; on all Feasts (except the Triduum) and on all Ferias during Eastertide.
The "Te Deum" (see, below). Sung by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint Maurice and Saint Maur, Clervaux. Luxembourg.
The "Te Deum" is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of The Church, Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, and is one the most majestic Chants in the Liturgy of The Church. It is sung in Traditional Seminaries and Monastic Houses at the Divine Office and for Double Feasts of The First Class, The Nativity, Easter, Corpus Christi, Epiphany, Pentecost and those which have an Octave.
The Solemn "Te Deum" is sung
on all occasions of public Church rejoicing.
Available on YouTube at
Authorship is traditionally ascribed to Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, on the occasion of the latter's Baptism by the former in 387 A.D. It has also been ascribed to Saint Hilary, but Catholic-Forum.com says "it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th-Century A.D.)".
The Petitions at the end of the Hymn (beginning "Salvum fac populum tuum") are a selection of Verses from The Book of Psalms, appended subsequently to the original Hymn.
The Hymn follows the outline of the Apostles' Creed, mixing a poetic vision of the Heavenly Liturgy with its declaration of Faith. Calling on the Name of God, immediately, the Hymn proceeds to name all those who Praise and Venerate God; from the hierarchy of Heavenly Creatures, to those Christian Faithful already in Heaven, to The Church spread throughout the World.
The Hymn then returns to its Credal formula, naming Christ and recalling His Birth, Suffering and Death, His Resurrection and Glorification. At this point, the Hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the Praise, both The Universal Church and the singer, in particular, asking for Mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for re-unification with The Elect.
Te Deum Laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur.
Te æternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli;
tibi cæli et universæ Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt cæli et terra
maiestatis gloriæ tuæ.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensæ maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriæ, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna cælorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quæsumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
[added later, mainly from Psalm Verses:]
Salvum fac populum tuum,
Domine, et benedic hereditati tuæ.
Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in æternum.
Per singulos dies benedicimus te;
Et laudamus Nomen tuum in sæculum,
et in sæculum sæculi.
Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri Domine, miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua,
Domine, super nos,
quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Domine, speravi:
non confundar in æternum.
Translation from The Book of Common Prayer.
We Praise Thee, O God:
We acknowledge Thee to be The Lord.
All the Earth doth Worship Thee:
The Father Everlasting.
To Thee all Angels cry aloud:
The Heavens, and all The Powers, therein.
To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim
Continually do cry:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and Earth are full of The Majesty
Of Thy Glory.
The glorious company of The Apostles Praise Thee.
The goodly fellowship of The Prophets Praise Thee.
The noble Army of Martyrs Praise Thee.
The Holy Church throughout all the World
Doth acknowledge Thee.
The Father Of an Infinite Majesty;
Thine Honourable, True, And Only Son;
Also, The Holy Ghost, The Comforter.
Thou art The King of Glory, O, Christ.
Thou art The Everlasting Son of The Father.
When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man:
Thou didst not abhor The Virgin's Womb.
When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death:
Thou didst open The Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at The Right Hand of God:
In The Glory of The Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come: To be our Judge.
We therefore Pray Thee, help Thy servants:
whom Thou hast Redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints:
In Glory Everlasting.
[These two verses were added later,
mainly from Psalm verses:]
O Lord, save Thy people:
and Bless Thine heritage.
Govern them: And lift them up for ever.
Day by day: We magnify Thee;
And we worship Thy Name: Ever World Without End.
Vouchsafe, O Lord: To keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us: Have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us:
As our trust is in Thee.
O Lord, in Thee have I trusted:
Let me never be confounded.
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