Altissimu onnipotente bon signore. tue so le laude la gloria e l onore et onne benedictione. Ad te solo altissimo se konfano. et nullu homo ene dignu te mentouare. Laudato sie mi signore cum tucte le tue creature spetialmente messor lo frate sole. lo quale iorno et allumini per loi. Et ellu e bellu e radiante cum grande splendore. de te altissimo porta significatione. Laudato si mi signore per sora luna e le stelle. in celu l ai formate et pretiose et belle. Laudato si mi signore per frate uento et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo. per lo quale a le tue creature dai sustentamento. Laudato si mi signore per sor acqua. la quale e multo utile et humile et pretiosa. et casta. Laudato si mi signore per per frate focu. per lo quale ennallumini la nocte. ed ello e bello et iucundo et robusto et forte. Laudato si mi signore per sora nostra matre terra. la quale ne sustenta et gouerna. et produce diuersi fructi con coloriti fiore et herba. Laudato si mi signore per quelli ke perdonano per lo tue amore. et sostengo infirmitate et tribulatione. beati quelli ke l sosterranno in pace. ka da te altissimo sirano incoronati. Laudato si mi signore per sora nostra morte corporale. da la quale nulla homo uiuente po skappare. guai a cquelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali. beati quelli ke trouara ne le tue sanctissime uoluntati ka la morte secunda nol farra male. Laudate et benedicete mi signore et rengratiate et seruiteli cum grande humilitate.
W. Killmayer sets stanza 8 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
W. Killmayer sets stanza 9 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Miscellanea Francescana. Di storia, di lettere, di arti, Vol III, Foligno: Presso la Direzione, 1888, page 4. The punctuation and capitalization follows this publication, but we have added some line-breaks to make it fit on the page. There are many other versions with many spelling variations.
Text as set by Heininen:
Altissimu, onnipotente bon Signore, Tue so' le laude, la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione. Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano, et nullu homo ène dignu te mentovare. Laudato sie, mi' Signore cum tucte le Tue creature, spetialmente messor lo frate Sole, lo qual'è iorno, et allumini noi per lui. Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore: de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione. Laudato si', mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stelle: in celu l'hai formate clarite et pretiose et belle. Laudato si', mi' Signore, per frate Vento et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo, per lo quale, a le Tue creature dài sustentamento. Laudato si', mi Signore, per sor'Acqua. la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta. Laudato si', mi Signore, per frate Focu, per lo quale ennallumini la nocte: ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte. Laudato si', mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra, la quale ne sustenta et governa, et produce diversi fructi con coloriti fior et herba. Laudato si', mi Signore, per quelli che perdonano per lo Tuo amore et sostengono infrmitate et tribulatione. Beati quelli ke 'l sosterranno in pace, ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati. Laudato s' mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte corporale, da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappare: guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali; beati quelli ke trovarà ne le Tue sanctissime voluntati, ka la morte secunda no 'l farrà male. Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate e serviateli cum grande humilitate.
Text Authorship:
- by Francis of Assisi, Saint (1182 - 1226), "Cantico del le creature", written 1224? [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Sandro Fuga (1906 - 1994), "Cantico delle creature", 1943 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931), "Il cantico delle creature" [ violoncello, chamber chorus, and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paavo Heininen (b. 1938), "Cantico della Creature", op. 17 (1968-70) [ baritone and orchestra or piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Altissimu", published 1969 [ soprano, tenor recorder, bongo, 3 tom-toms, and timpano ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Laudatu I", 1967, stanza 8 [ SSAATTBB chorus a cappella ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Laudatu II", 1969, first performed 1969, stanza 9 [ SSAATTBB chorus a cappella ], Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz (Ferenc) Liszt (1811 - 1886), "Cantico del sol di San Francisco d'Assisi", S. 4 no. 1 (1862), published 1987, first performed 1863 [ baritone, men's chorus, and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Suter (1870 - 1926), "Le Laudi di San Francesco d’Assisi", subtitle: "Cantico delle Creature", op. 25 no. 1 (1923), first performed 1924 [ chorus, soli, organ, orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by C. Mertz ; composed by Theo Van der Bijl.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] ; composed by David Evan Thomas.
- Also set in English, a translation by Matthew Arnold (1822 - 1888) , "The Canticle of the Sun", appears in Essays in Criticism ; composed by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, Howard Leake Boatwright, Raymond Hockley, Joseph Roff, Martin Edward Fallas Shaw, Leo Sowerby, Virgil Garnett Thomson.
- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Gino Perara ; composed by Charles Martin Tornov Loeffler.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ernst Mahle.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Spanish (Español), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] ; composed by Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Der Gesang der Geschöpfe (Der Sonnengesang des Heiligen Franziskus von Assisi)", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2006-06-14
Line count: 33
Word count: 259
O most high, almighty, good Lord God, to thee belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing! To thee alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce thy Name. Praised be my Lord God with all his creatures, and specially our brother the sun, who brings us the day and who brings us the light; fair is he and shines with a very great splendor: O Lord, he signifies to us thee! Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon, and for the stars, the which he has set clear and lovely in heaven. Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all weather by the which thou upholdest life in all creatures. Praised be my Lord for our sister water, who is very serviceable unto us and humble and precious and clean. Praised be my Lord for our brother fire, through whom thou givest us light in the darkness; and he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong. Praised be my Lord for our mother the earth, the which doth sustain us and keep us, and bringeth forth divers fruits and flowers of many colors, and grass. Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for his love's sake, and who endure weakness and tribulation; blessed are they who peaceably shall endure, for thou, O most Highest, shalt give them a crown. Praised be my Lord for our sister, the death of the body, from which no man escapeth. Woe to him who dieth in mortal sin! Blessed are they who are found walking by thy most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm. Praise ye and bless the Lord, and give thanks unto him and serve him with great humility.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in Cornhill Magazine, April 1864, in Pagan and Christian Religious Sentiment; revised 1865.Text Authorship:
- by Matthew Arnold (1822 - 1888), "The Canticle of the Sun", appears in Essays in Criticism [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian - Medieval (Volgare) by Francis of Assisi, Saint (1182 - 1226), "Cantico del le creature", written 1224?
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "The Canticle of the Sun", published 1928 [soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, SATB chorus, and orchestra], Boston: Schmidt [text not verified]
- by Howard Leake Boatwright (1918 - 1999), "Canticle of the Sun", published 1964 [soprano, SATB chorus, second unison chorus ad libitum, and orchestra], Boston: E. C. Schirmer [text not verified]
- by Raymond Hockley , "Canticle of the Sun", 1953, first performed 1955 [soprano, clarinet, and piano], note: may not be this translation [text not verified]
- by Joseph Roff (1910 - 1993), "The Song of the Creatures", published 1967 [SATB chorus and organ or piano], New York: H. W. Gray [text not verified]
- by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875 - 1958), "Canticle of the Sun", published 1926 [unison chorus with SATB semi-quartet and piano or organ], London, Curwen [text not verified]
- by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875 - 1958), "All Creatures", 1931 [unison chorus with SATB semi-quartet and piano or organ], from Songs of Praise, London: Oxford University Press ; note: this is the same setting as the earlier one [text not verified]
- by Leo Sowerby (1895 - 1968), "Canticle of the Sun", published 1944 [SATB chorus and piano or orchestra], H. W. Gray; note: awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1946 [text not verified]
- by Virgil Garnett Thomson (1896 - 1989), "From the Canticle of the Sun", published 1963 [medium voice and piano], from Praises and Prayers, New York: G. Schirmer [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-04-09
Line count: 33
Word count: 308