PSALTERIVM

PSALMVS CXLVIII — LAVDATE DOMINVM DE CAELIS

Praise Ye the Lord From the Heavens

Laudate Dominum de caelis is the cosmic praise psalm, summoning all creation from angels to sea monsters to worship. In the 1962 Breviary, it appears at Lauds daily. The comprehensive summons leaves nothing outside worship. This psalm inspired St. Francis's Canticle of the Creatures.

LATINE
Laudate Dominum de caelis: laudate eum in excelsis.
Laudate eum, omnes angeli eius: laudate eum, omnes virtutes eius.
Laudate eum, sol et luna: laudate eum, omnes stellae et lumen.
Laudate eum, caeli caelorum: et aquae omnes, quae super caelos sunt,
Laudent nomen Domini. Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: ipse mandavit, et creata sunt.
Laudate Dominum de terra, dracones, et omnes abyssi.
Ignis, grando, nix, glacies, spiritus procellarum: quae faciunt verbum eius:
Montes, et omnes colles: ligna fructifera, et omnes cedri.
Bestiae, et universa pecora: serpentes, et volucres pennatae:
Reges terrae, et omnes populi: principes, et omnes iudices terrae.
Iuvenes, et virgines, senes cum iunioribus, laudent nomen Domini:
Quoniam exaltatum est nomen eius solius.
ENGLISH
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Praise ye him, O sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens
Praise the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye deeps:
Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds which fulfil his word:
Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:
Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:
Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:
Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord:
For his name alone is exalted.
NOTA
FONS
Douay-Rheims (1609) / Vulgata
USUS
Lauds, Creation praise
CONTEXT
The Benedicite (Canticle of the Three Young Men) expands this theme. St. Francis's Canticle of Brother Sun echoes this universal praise.