Quemadmodum desiderat cervus ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te Deus
clementissime et misericordisime. Sitivit anima mea ad Deum fortem vivum: quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei?
O fons vitae, vena aquarum viventium,
quando veniam ad aquas dulcedinis tuae?
Quando veniam de terra invia et inaquosa,
ut videam virtutem tuam et gloriam tuam
et satiem ex aquis misericordiae tuae
sitim meam!
Fons vitae satia me.
Sitio, Domine, sitio te, Deum vivum.
O quando veni et apparebo,
Domine, ante faciam tuam?
O dies praeclara et pulcra,
nesciens vesperum
non habes occasum
in qua audiam vocem laudis,
vocem exultationis,
in qua audiam:
Intra gaudium Domini tui,
in gaudium sempiternum,
in domum Dei tui,
O gaudium super gaudium,
extra non est gaudium.
English translation
Like as the hart desires the water spring, so longs my soul for You, God most gentle and merciful. My soul thirsts for You, God, the living source. When shall I come and appear before Your face?
O fount of life, course of living waters,
when shall I come to the waters of Your sweetness!
When shall I come from the impassable and dry land,
and behold Your strength and Your glory
and I shall quench my thirst
from the waters of Your mercy.
I thirst, O Lord, fount of life, fill me
I thirst, O Lord, I thirst for You, the living God
Oh, when shall I come and appear,
O Lord, before Your face.
O glorious and beautiful day,
which knows no evening and has no sunset,
in which I shall hear the voice of praise,
the voice of exultation and confession,
in which I shall hear:
Go in joy to your Lord
go in everlasting joy,
go in the house of the Lord your God.
O joy beyond joy,
Joy surpassing all joy,
Without which there is no joy.
Latin text
English translation