Adoro te devote
Adoro te devote is a Eucharistic hymn written by Saint Thomas Aquinas.[1] Strictly speaking, Saint Thomas seems to have used it as a private prayer for adoration of the Eucharist, rather than as a hymn. The earliest evidence of it being set to music and used as a hymn arises only in the seventeenth century.[2]
Text and literal translation
Latin text | literal English translation |
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There are a number of variant readings to the Latin text, with slightly different nuances to some of the words. This does not affect the overall meaning of the lines or stanzas.[3]
Poetic English Translations
There have been at least 16 significant English translations of the Adoro te devote, reflecting its popularity as a prayer and hymn.[4] The following table contains three translations by significant English speaking poets and hymn writers.
Edward Bouverie Pusey translation | Edward Caswall translation | Gerard Manley Hopkins translation |
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Additional translations, with their opening line, are as follows:
- John O'Hagan (1822-1890) Hidden God, devoutly I adore thee
Liturgical use
This hymn is typically used as a Eucharistic hymn and is sung either during the distribution of communion at Mass or during the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes the sixth verse "Pie Pelicane, Jesu, Domine" is used as a separate shorter hymn during Benediction.[6]
The Hymn can be heard performed to its traditional medieval melody on YouTube as Adoro Te Devote - Catholic Hymns, Gregorian Chant
See also
Notes
- ^ Christopher Howse, 'Not a hymn but a personal poem,' The Telegraph 17 Jan 2015 retrieved 5 Nov 2015
- ^ Paul Murray, Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism and Poetry, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013, ISBN 9781441116468, p241 retrieved 5 Nov 2015
- ^ E McNamara,The Adoro te Devote, 'Zenit: The world seen from Rome' 25 May 2010 retrieved 5 Nov 2015
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia 1917, 'Adoro te devote' retrieved 5 Nov 2015
- ^ Adoro te devote, two versions and a translation retrieved 5 Nov 2015
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Adoro Te Devote". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
External links
Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article: Adoro te devote
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