Haydn’s Te Deum in English translation
I’m working with a church choir, preparing to perform Haydn’s setting of the ancient Latin hymn Te Deum. Here are my notes on the text.
Te Deum
Adapted from the entries at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_deum
and at the Choral Public Domain Library: http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Te_Deum
Although I’m no expert in Latin, I have attempted to reorder some phrases from conventional English translations to provide a more word-by-word translation. For singing, it’s important to figure out what the most important word in each phrase needs to be.
Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise from around the 4th century, traditionally ascribed to Ambrose and Augustine. Contemporary scholars assign it to Nicetas of Remesiana. The closing section, adapted from various verses in the Psalms, was added later.
I have divided the text into four sections according to the musical structure of Haydn’s piece.
| Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur. Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur. Tibi omnes Angeli; Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. Patrem immensae majestatis: Tu Rex gloriae, Christe. Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris. Judex crederis esse venturus. |
You O God, we praise: You, Lord, we acknowledge to be. You are the eternal Father. All the earth venerates you. To you all Angels; Holy, Holy, Holy, You the glorious chorus of Apostles (praise), Father of immense Majesty: You are the King of Glory, O Christ. You, by overcoming the sting of death, You sit at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. |
| Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti. |
To you therefore we ask you, help your servants: whom you have redeemed with your precious blood. |
| Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari. [added later, adapted from Psalm
verses] Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, |
In eternity with your saints make them in glory to be numbered. [added later, adapted from Psalm
verses] Save your people, Lord, And rule them, and lift them up for ever. Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day without sin to keep us. Let your mercy be upon us, O Lord, since we have |
| In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum. |
In you, O Lord, I have trusted: may I not be confounded forever. |
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