A Te Deum

This has been an exciting and joy-filled day! Here's a Te Deum, by John Lydgate; the last verse is my favourite.


1. Te deum laudamus to thee, lord sovereyne,
We creaturys knowlech thee as creatoure;
Te, eternum patrem, the peple playne,
With hand and herte doth thee honoure;
O femynyn fadir funte and foundoure,
Magnus et laudabilis dominus,
In sonne and sterre thu sittyst splendoure,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

2. Tibi omnis chorus angelorum,
With the principal ierarchyes of the pretence,
Tibi coriously cantant celi celorum,
Cherubyn et Seraphyn in thy precious presence;
Incessauntly syngyng this solempne sentence,
Sanctus! Sanctus! tu summus Sanctus!
Lord God of hostis, omnipotence,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

3. Pleni sunt celi with plenteousnesse
Of grace, of vertu, and of charyte,
This travailous erthe, ful of unsurnesse
That to man is maad of thy maieste,
Proclamyng and praysyng thy glorious fraternyte
Qui es alpha et O et virtus,
O infynyt fontayn ful of felicite!
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

4. Te chorus glorious of apostolate,
Memorial make, modulacioun,
The laudable nombre of the prophetys astate
Evir joyng gaudent in jubilacioun,
Te letabilem laudat in laudacioun,
Te martirum candidatus exercitus
Principium polorum in al pausacioun
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

5. The chirches as by the worldis circuyt
Te fratrem ostendunt of moost power,
Verum et venerabilem thyn oune sone of myght,
The hooly goost counfortere of sapience cler,
Substancial above al angelys qwer;
Perfectus deus, altissimus,
In hertly tongis that usid been her
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

6. Tu rex Christe glorie Jesu,
The sone of the fadir eternal beyng,
For to delyvere man thu tokyst ful dew,
Humanyte in a mayden yong,
Hir virginal cloistre cleene conservyng,
Nat disdeyned to take dei filius;
Eternal glory to that excellent kyng!
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

7. Victoriously whan thu ovircomyn had
The sharpe showrys of deth and payne,
To thyn belouyd thu appertly rad,
In heuenly kyngdam wherin thu reyne,
Tu ad dexteram dei, in thy demeyne,
In gloriam patris, thu sittist summus,
In psalmys the which sanctly seyne,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

8. Tu iudex Jesu we beleve that thu art,
At the judicial day of jugement,
Dyvynely there shal come, for to depart
The goode from the ille in a moment;
Wherfor we pray thee as thu art glorious goddes sone so sent,
To thy servauntys esto propicius,
That with thy precious blood thu boutist fervent,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

9. Lord make us rewardid, with thy celical seyntis,
In endless glory, wher is al grace,
Salvum fac populum fram peynly compleyntis,
That our odious Enmy ageyns us haase,
Blisse lord al thyn heritage that is base
Qui es qui eras sanctissimus;
Infynyt to beholde thy formous face,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

10. Per singulos dies with spiritis heuenly,
Thee with obsecraciouns we blisse and do observaunce;
And thy blissid precious name we preyse infynytly,
In this presenti seculo with humyliaunce;
And in the world of worldys as is thyn avaunce,
Ubi celicus cetus syngen sanctus,
To thy preysyngis, lord in thy laudaunce,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

11. Deere lord of thyn digne excellence,
This day conserve us from confusioun,
The which is synne, slouth, and necligence;
Haue mercy on us, and make an vnyoun.
Lat misericord discend from thy domynyoun
Miserere nostri lord, as thu art gracious,
And put us nat into perpetual prisoun,
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

12. Fiat misericordia tua upon al mankynde,
As our hoope and trust is fully in thee;
Thouh thy creacioun somewhat be to the unkynde
Yit send mercy doun lord, from thy maieste,
That closyd was in virgynyte,
The which is sempiternus filius,
Te fratrem of heuene of gret pouste
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

13. Lord with this glorious psalme of the prophete,
This is the fynal eende of this ympne and song,
In te domine speram my saviour swete,
Lat us nat be lost, lord, evirlastyng long,
From this erthly synne, fadir, thu us fong,
Tu primus et nouissimus,
O sapiencia of whom al goodnesse sprong;
Te laudat omnis spiritus.

Angels from Bakewell