Te Deum
Early Christian Hymn of praise. Traditionaly ascribed to Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, contamporary scholars disagree and some asign it to Nicetas, bishop of Remesiana (4th-5th century).
The hymn is also sometimes styled "Hymnus Ambrosianus", the "Ambrosian Hymn"; and in the Roman Breviary it is still entitled, at the end of Matins for Sunday, "Hymnus SS. Ambrosii et Augustini".
The Roman Breviary direct the recitation of the Te Deum at the end of Matins and for special occasions such as the canonization of a saint, the election of a pope, the publication of a treaty of peace, a royal coronation, etc.
Musical settings at CPDL
- Hector Berlioz
- Dmitri Bortniansky
- Douglas Brooks-Davies
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier
- Anton Diabelli
- Robert Führer
- José Mauricio Nunes Garcia
- George Frederic Handel
- Te Deum in A-major
- Utrecht Te Deum (in english)
- Franz Joseph Haydn
- Vaclav Emanuel Horak
- Orlando di Lasso
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Robert Parsons
- Alvarez Pinto
- Charles Villiers Stanford
- Tomás Luis de Victoria
Texts and translations
Latin text
Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum patrem,
omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes angeli,
tibi caeli et universae potestates:
tibi cherubim et seraphim,
incessabili voce proclamant:
"Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra
maiestatis gloriae tuae."
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
te prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis;
venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu, ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes,
in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni,
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac
cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine,
et benedic hereditati tuae.
Et rege eos,
et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
Per singulos dies benedicimus te;
et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum,
et in saeculum saeculi.
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 aeternum.
English translation
(there are about 25 translations into english)
We praise you, God:
we acknowledge you as Lord.
All the earth venerates you
as the eternal father.
To you all the angels,
to you the heavens and all the powers:
to you the cherubim and seraphim
sing with unending voice:
"Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God of hosts.
of the majesty of your glory."
The glorious chorus of Apostles praises you,
the praiseworthy number of prophets praises you,
the white-robed army of martyrs praises you.
The holy Church gives witness to you
throughout the whole world
as the Father of immense majesty;
your true and only Son who is to be worshipped,
and also the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
O Christ, you are the king of glory.
You are the eternal son of the Father.
Undertaking to liberate humanity,
you did not dread the womb of the Virgin.
By overcoming the sting of death,
you opened the kingdom of heaven to believers.
You sit at the right hand of God,
in the glory of the Father.
We believe you will come as judge.
Therefore we ask you, assist your servants,
whom you have redeemed by your precious blood.
Make them to be numbered among the holy ones
in eternal glory.
Save your people, Lord,
and bless your inheritance.
And rule them,
and lift them up into eternity.
We bless you every day;
and we praise your name for ever,
and throughout all ages.
Deign to keep us, O Lord,
without sin this day.
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
have mercy on us.
May your mercy be upon us, O Lord,
since we have hoped in you.
I have hoped in you, O Lord:
may I not be confounded for ever.