The "Te Deum" and English translations Traditionally attributed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine (on the occasion of the latter's baptism)...

Latin:

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.

Translation as it appears in the ELCA "Green" hymnal:

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you. 

To you all angels,
all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim,
sing in endless praise: 

Holy, holy , holy,
Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth
are full of your glory. 

The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world
the holy Church acclaims you: 

Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son,
worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit,
advocate and guide. 

You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb. 

You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers,
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge. 

Come then, Lord,
and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting. Amen.

"Holy God, We Praise Your Name" ... a relatively free, yet faithful, rendering. The last verse does not correspond with any portion of the Latin:

Holy God, we praise Your Name;
Lord of all, we bow before You!
All on earth Your scepter claim,
All in Heaven above adore You;
Infinite Your vast domain,
Everlasting is Your reign. 

Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord. 

Lo! the apostolic train
Join the sacred Name to hallow;
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white robed martyrs follow;
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song goes on. 

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name You;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim You;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery. 

You art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
For us sinners sacrificed,
And to death a tributary:
First to break the bars of death,
You have opened Heaven to faith. 

From Your high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
We believe that You shall come
In the dreaded doomsday morning;
When Your voice shall shake the earth,
And the startled dead come forth. 

Therefore do we pray You, Lord:
Help Your servants whom, redeeming
By Your precious blood out-poured,
You have saved from Satan’s scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
In the glory of the blest. 

Spare Your people, Lord, we pray,
By a thousand snares surrounded:
Keep us without sin today,
Never let us be confounded.
Lord, in you, we put our trust;
Make us holy, whole and just. 

Holy God Chords:
G D G / G D / x2
D G / C G D G /

D A D / D A / x2
A D / G D A D

This version is meant to be sung to "Thaxted," a hymn tune by Gustav Holst, which he based on the Jupiter movement from his Planets suite. Primarily known for the song "I Vow to Thee, My Country":

We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
"O holy, holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fil the heavens and the earth!" 

The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
"O all majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter--forever Three in One!" 

You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev'ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin's womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven's kingdom to all who would believe. 

You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God's right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen! 

F C F G Am / F C Fmaj7 G5 C / G5 -> A C G / A C G G5 C / C G ->

Another rendering using Common Meter (which means it can be sung to "Amazing Grace" or any other of the thousand tunes that use the same meter):

O God, we praise You, and confess
That You the only Lord
And everlasting Father are,
By all the earth adored.
To You all angels cry aloud;
To You the powers on high,
Both cherubim and seraphim,
Continually cry. 

O holy, holy, holy, Lord,
Whom heavenly hosts obey,
The world is with Your glory filled
As sunlight fills the day!
Apostles’ glorious company,
And prophets crowned with light,
With all the martyrs’ noble host,
Your constant praise recite. 

The holy Church throughout the world,
Confesses you, O Lord,
That You eternal Father are,
Your majesty adored.
Your honored, true and only Son;
And Holy Ghost, the Spring
Of never ceasing joy; O Christ
Of glory You are King.

My rendering of the Latin, also using Common Meter. In the non parenthetical 4th and 5th verses, the focus is on description of the "martyrs, prophets and apostles". In the parenthetical 4th and 5th verses, the focus is on description of the Trinity.

Te Deum laudamus, Te
Dominum confitemur
Te aeternum Patrem, omnis
terra veneratur 

Tibi caeli potestates
et omnes angeli
cherub et seraphim proclamant
incessabili 

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth
O pleni sunt caeli et terra
gloria tua 

Te Apostolorum chorus,     (Te martyrum, prophetarum,)
Prophetarum numerus,       (apostolorum laudant)
Te Martyrum candidatus    (Te per orbem confitetur)
laudat exercitus                  (sancta Ecclesia) 

Te per orbem confitetur     (Patrem immensae maiestatis)
sancta Ecclesia                  (venerandum Tuum)
Patrem, unicum Filim         (verum, unicum Filium)
et Sanctum Spiritum          (et Sanctum Spiritum) 

Tu Rex, Christe, Patris
sempiternus es Filius
Sed per nos non horruisti
Virginis uterum 

Te devicto aculeo
mortis mortem tuum.
Aperuisti credentibus
regna caelorum

Labels: 4th c., latin

  ¶ Monday, July 04, 2011