Learning Liturgical Latin: Resources

As my loyal reader will remember, I posted a series of posts on learning Liturgical Latin a while back. They start here, and the rest (19 in all) can be found by following the tag 'Latin Class.'

However, since then, I have come across a number of other resources online that may be of interest. So in this post, I give a selection of links which will help anyone striving to learn Latin for the Liturgy.

For a dictionary, there is  Lewis and Short, which is excellent.

Then there is the Vulgate (St Jerome's masterly Latin translation of the Bible, used by the Church in the West for centuries as the authoritative and liturgical text for Holy Scripture).  This is online, with parallel English translation here. 

For the Mass in the Traditional Form, there is this which is very beautifully laid out, for the Ordinary of the Mass.  For the Propers (and a less decorated, but in some easy more helpful version of the Ordinary) this is excellent.

For Mass in the New Rite, I have yet to see a parallel Latin and (corrected) English translation of the Ordinary online: I am sure that there is one out there, so if a kind reader could point it out, I would be grateful.

For the Lectionary of the New Rite, there is this (US version, but for the purposes of learning Latin, should be OK: I haven't read it.) 

For the Divine Office, this seems a very comprehensive site.

If anyone knows of any other useful online resources for the learning of Liturgical Latin, I'd be very grateful.

Liturgical Latin

I had a break from the Liturgical Latin series when we went on holiday, and on my return, I am not sure what, if anything, to post next in the series.

It seems to me that we have covered enough basic grammar; by referring to what we have learned, using Lewis and Short for vocabulary, and if necessary other online grammar books, one should be able to understand most of the texts one is likely to encounter in the liturgy.

If there is any interest, I could continue to post a prayer from the liturgy each weekend, with a brief note of any vocabulary or grammatical points arising; but if there is no such interest, I think I will end the introduction to Liturgical Latin here.  To be honest, we have about covered my knowledge of Latin grammar...

A Short Break

The Trovati are off on holiday today, collecting Bernie en route and then proceeding to the West Country for a week of walking and surfing etc.

Consequently, there will be no Latin Class this week or next, nor any other blogging.

Normal service will (probably) be resumed on our return.

Latin Lesson - Alma Redemptoris Mater

This week we continue with the great Marian antiphons: this time, unseasonably, with the Alma Redemptoris Mater, which is sung from the start of Advent until the feast of the Purification (or Presentation: 2 February. I, of course, prefer the traditional title as it highlights Our Lady’s humility in adhering firmly to her Jewish culture: she the all-pure undergoing ritual purification in accordance with the Law).

So learn this by heart, ready to sing around the Advent wreath in a few months... Teach it to your children and to your children’s children...

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Here are the words, with an over-literal translation underneath, followed by Blessed John Henry Newman’s rather more polished translation.

Alma redemptoris mater, 

Fruitful mother of the Redeemer.

quae pervia caeli porta manes,

thou who remains the open gate of heaven, 

et stella maris succurre cadenti

and the star of the sea, help the fallen

surgere qui curat populo.  

people who strive to rise again.

Tu quae genuisti, 

Thou who gave birth

natura mirante, 

nature wondering,

tuum sanctum Genitorem.  

to thy holy Creator.

Virgo prius, ac posterius, 

Virgin before and after

Gabrielis ab ore, 

From Gabriel’s mouth

summens illud ave, 

accepting that Ave,

peccatorum miserere.

Have mercy on sinners.

Mother of the Redeemer, who art ever of heaven

The open gate, and the star of the sea, aid a fallen people, 

Which is trying to rise again; thou who didst give birth, 

While Nature marveled how, to thy Holy Creator, 

Virgin both before and after, from Gabriel's mouth 

Accepting the All hail, be merciful towards sinners.

Liturgical Latin: The Salve Regina and Participles

There are four great Marian antiphons with which we should all be familiar.  Traditionally, one of these is sung at the end of Compline (as well as other times, of course, ad libitum).

They are the the Alma Redemptoris Mater (Advent - the Feast of the Purification), the Ave Regina Caelorum (Purification - Holy Week), the Regina Caeli (Easter - Pentecost), and the Salve Regina (Pentecost to the end of the [Church’s] year).

As ever, I recommend you learn these by heart, and the best way is to sing them.

We have already learned the Regina Caeli, during Eastertide, so today we shall look at the Salve Regina:

Here is a recording:

And here is the text, with an over-literal translation underneath: 

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,

Hail, Queen, Mother of Mercy

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

our life, sweetness and hope, hail.

ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ,

to Thee we are crying, exiled children of Eve,

ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

to Thee we are sighing, lamenting and weeping,

in hac lacrimarum valle.

in this valley of tears.

Eia, ergo, advocata nostra,

Come then, therefore, our advocate, 

illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte;

those, thine eyes of mercy, towards us turn;

et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

and Jesus, blessed fruit of Thy womb,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

to us, after this exile, show.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.

℣ Ora pro nobis sancta Dei Genitrix.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God

℟ Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

That worthy we may be made of the promises of Christ.

Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, 

Let us pray. Almighty eternal God,

qui gloriosæ Virginis Matris Mariæ corpus et animam, 

who the glorious Virgin Mother Mary’s body and soul

ut dignum Filii tui habitaculum effici mereretur,

didst cause to be a worthy dwelling place, 

Spiritu Sancto cooperante præparasti: 

by preparing it with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit;

da, ut cuius commemoratione lætamur; 

grant, that we who rejoice in her commemoration,

eius pia intercessione, ab instantibus malis, et a morte perpetua liberemur.

by her pious intercession, from present evils and from eternal death may be liberated.

Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum.

Through the same Christ our Lord.

--

I think that is fairly self-explanatory - a few new words for your growing vocabulary, but nothing, I think, that needs further explanation (if you are up to speed with what we have covered so far) , apart from gementes et flentes: lamenting and weeping.  These are Participles.  

Participles are verbal adjectives. They have some features of verbs and some of adjectives. But they are most basically a type of adjective.

As adjectives, participles can modify nouns or pronouns, and they can sometimes stand alone (as "substantives"), with the modified noun or pronoun implied.

As verbals, participles can take objects, and  can have tense (i.e., refer to past, present, or future) and voice (i.e., indicate that an agent is "actively" doing something or "passively" receiving some action).

Here, therefore, they are plural present participles, with the pronoun 'we' implied by the context, in particular the second person plural verb 'suspiramus;' that is 'we are sighing, [we are] lamenting and weeping.'

For more on the principle of participles, see here.  For more on the form of participles, see here.

Liturgical Latin: Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei

I was not sure what to post this week, but given the focus of this series is meant to be Latin in the Liturgy, I thought we could look at the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.

As ever, I encourage you to learn these by heart, if you don't know them already.

Here are some recordings:

Sanctus: William Byrd, Mass for Four Voices

Benedictus: William Byrd, Mass for Four Voices

Agnus Dei: William Byrd, Mass for Four Voices

Actually, after those sublime pieces, anything I can say feels like gilding the lily...

Still, here are the texts:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Dei sabaoth.

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.

Full are heaven and earth of your glory.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Hosanna in the highest.

--

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Hosanna in the highest.

--

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

I am not sure there is much new here, grammatically.  Note the imperatives miserere and dona (we have met some before). Therefore, I will take this opportunity to invite any questions on anything which we have covered so far which is not clear; and also suggestions on what you would like me to cover next (though I reserve the right not to oblige!)

Tragic News...

I had planned to spend the afternoon reading Gaudiem et Spes, and then writing this week's Latin Class.

Alas, Mrs T had other ideas, and I have spent the afternoon helping Bernie to paint Dominique's room.

So, tragically, there is no Latin Lesson today.

I may get one posted during the week, or if not, hope to do so next weekend at the latest.

I recognise that is a severe disappointment to so many of you: console yourselves by re-reading the previous ones for your revision, and seeing how many of the prayers you are meant to be memorising you can actually recite - and translate!

Credo and the Perfect Tense

For your revision, recite the opening of St John's Gospel, and then write out the imperfect tense of a verb of your choice...


Today we are going to move on to the Creed, and the perfect tense.


Here's the Creed (nb you really should know this by heart!):

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,

I believe in one God, the Father almighty,

factorem coeli et terrae,

maker of heaven and of earth,

visibilium omnium, et invisibilium.

of all things visible, and invisible.

Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum,

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

Filium Dei unigenitum.

Son of God only begotten.

Et ex Patre natum ante omni saecula.

And of the Father born before all ages.

Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero.

God from God, light from light, true God from true God.

Genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri,

Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father,

per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines,

by whom all things were made. Who for us men,

et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis.

and for our salvation descended from the heavens.

Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto

And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit

ex Maria Virgine. Et homo factus est.

of the Virgin Mary. And was made man.

Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato,

Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate,

passus, et sepultus est.

suffered, and was buried.

Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas.

And he rose on the third day, in accord with the Scriptures.

Et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris.

And he ascended into heaven, he sits at right hand of Father.

Et iterum venturus est cum gloria,

And again he is going to come with glory,

judicare vivos et mortuos,

to judge the living and the dead,

cujus regni non erit finis.

of whose kingdom there will be no end.

Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum, et vivificantem,

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and lifegiver,

qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Qui cum Patre, et Filio simul adoratur

Who with the Father, and the Son together is adored

et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per Prophetas.

and glorified, who spoke through the Prophets.

Et unam, sanctam, catholicam, et apostolicam Ecclesiam.

And in one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.

I confess one baptism for remission of sins.

Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum.

And I expect the resurrection of dead.

Et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

And everlasting life to come. Amen.

--

Most of the vocabulary here is easy to grasp, I think, with the fairly literal translation underneath.  One point of interest is filioque.  I don't mean because of the controversy it represents, but linguistically.  The point being that -que is a suffix added to filio, and means and.  The other famous example, of course is SPQR Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Roman Senate and People).

So let us continue our study of the Latin verb.  Here are some of the verbs found in the Creed:

Credo, expecto, sedet, procedit: are all regular verbs in the present tense; the first two in the first person (I believe, I expect) and the remaining two in the third person (he is sitting, he proceeds).  So these should look like familiar forms to you by now.

Confiteor is an oddity.  It is the first person singular present tense of a deponent verb; that is verb which has a passive form, but an active meaning (in this case, I confess).  For a more usual use of the passive form, we have:

adoratur, conglorificatur, each of which is the third person present in the passive voice: ie he is adored, he is glorified with, (as opposed to the active, which would be adorat: he adores, glorificat, he glorifies).  We may come onto the passive voice more fully eventually...

facta sunt, erit finis, locutus est are tenses made with an auxiliary verb (to be) similar to the English forms: they were made, it will finish, it was spoken. 

judicare is an infinitive: to judge.

resurrexit, ascendit

Resurrexit is the third person singular of the perfect tense of resurgere: to rise again

Here is the complete perfect tense:

resurrexi - I rose again
resurrexisti - you rose again (singular)
resurrexit - he, she or it rose again
resurreximus- we rose again
resurrexistis - you rose again (plural)
resurrexerunt - they rose again

Likewise ascendit, from ascendere - to ascend.

ascendi - I ascended

ascendisti -  you ascended (singular)

ascendit - he, she or it  ascended

ascendimus -  we ascended 

ascendistis -  you ascended (plural)

ascenderunt -  they ascended


In fact, these endings,   -i, -isti, -it, -imus, -istis, -erunt are the same for the perfect tense (active voice)  of the regular verbs of all conjugations.

So that's your homework for this week: to learn these and find other examples in the liturgy, if you can.

In principio and the imperfect tense

For your revision, translate:

Introibo ad altare deum

ædificabo ecclesiam meam

et portæ inferi non prævalebunt adversus eam.

Et tibi dabo claves regni cælorum.

Incidentally, I have just discovered at site that teaches Latin based on the Vulgate.  It is worth a look (but don't desert me!)

For ourselves, we are going to look at the beginning of the Last Gospel of the EF, that is the opening verses of St John's Gospel.

You will need to learn this by heart, as well, but I don't know of a good musical setting, as it is spoken by the Priest at Mass.

In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.

Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. 

The same was in the beginning with God.

Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est. 

All things by Him were made: and without Him was made nothing, which was made.

In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum: 

In Him was life, and life was the light of men:

et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt.

and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it.

So why are we looking at this?  One reason is that it (and the following verses) is one of my favourite passages, both for poetry and theology, in the Bible.

But more practically, it gives me an excuse to introduce the imperfect tense. 

In fact if only has one imperfect verb, erat, but it does mention it many times!

Erat is the third person singular of the verb to be: he, she or it was.

Here is the whole of the imperfect of esse: to be

eram        I was
eras         you were (thou wert) singular
erat          he, she or it was
eramus   we were
eratis       you (plural) were
erant        they were

Which reminds me, we never looked at the present of esse.

sum        I am
es            you are (thou art) singular
est           he, she or it is
sumus    we are
estis        you (plural) are
sunt        they are

(famously, of course: antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum: before Abraham was made, I AM)

But I digress.

What I really want to look at is the imperfect tense.  As in so many languages, to be (esse) in Latin is an irregular verb.  Here is a regular imperfect:

1st conjugation (-are) 

Amare - to love

amabam     I was loving

amabas       you (s) were loving

amabat       he, she or it was loving

amabamus we were loving

amabatis     you (pl) were loving

amabant      they were loving

And you wil find that the imperfect of all regular verbs, end in the -bam, -bas, -bat endings.

So a simple rule of thumb, for regular verbs,  is: to form the imperfect tense, remove ‘-re’ from the infinitive,  and add the relevant ending above. However, if the verb is in the fourth conjugation (-ire), you will need to add an ‘-e’ before adding the relevant ending, as follows:

Audire: to hear

Audiebam  I was hearing, (and so on)

That's all I have time for tonight, but should be enough to keep you going for a week!

Latin Lesson: Tu es Petrus and the future tense

Last week, we looked at the Angelus, and that led to interesting reflections in the comms box and a subsequent post on the meaning of mens and cor.


So for your revision, pray the Angelus in Latin.

This week, we are moving on to the Tu Es Petrus (as inscribed around the interior of the dome of St Peter's in the Vatican, see above [Mt 16:18-19]).  


That is because it is both seasonal (and if you start learning it by heart today, you should know it in time for Friday's feast one of our last holy days of obligation, but don't get me started...) and also because it has some verbs in the future tense, which we have not yet encountered.


As ever, I do recommend rote learning, and here is a recording.


Tu es Petrus

Two things to note about this: one is that if you were at an EF Mass today (the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist) you will have heard remarkably similar music, though with different words.  The second is that this does not include all the words we are going to examine below.


Tu es Petrus
Thou art Peter

et super hanc petram ædificabo ecclesiam meam
and upon this rock, I will build my Church,

et portæ inferi non prævalebunt adversus eam.
And the gates of hell will not prevail against her.


Et tibi dabo claves regni cælorum.
And to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.


A few notes on vocabulary:


Petrus/petram is not so much a pun as the whole point of Our Lord's re-naming Simon.  When God names something, it effects what it proclaims.


Aedificabo - I will build, from which we get the words edifice and edifying.


inferi - the place below - from which we get inferior.


But the main thing I want you to focus on is the future tense.


Here we have:


Aedificabo, and dabo (1st person singular, future tense) and 
Praevalebunt (third person plural, future tense)


Let's fill in the gaps.




The Future Tense


1st conjugation verbs  (infinitive ends -are)


Infinitive Dare (to give) (and aedificare follows the same pattern)


1st person singular:  dabo  (I will give)
2nd person singular: dabis  (you will give)
3rd person singular: dabit (he, she or it  will give)
1st person plural: dabimus (we  will give)
2nd person plural: dabitis (you  will give)
3rd person plural: dabunt (they  will give)

2nd conjugation verbs (-ēre: long e)

Infinitive: Praevalere (to prevail, to overcome) 

1st person singular:  praevalebo  (I will prevail)
2nd person singular: praevalebis  (you will prevail)
3rd person singular: praevalebit (he, she or it  will prevail)
1st person plural: praevalebimus (we  will prevail)
2nd person plural: praevalebitis (you  will prevail)
3rd person plural: praevalebunt (they  will prevail)

I'm struggling to think of many more uses of the future in Liturgical Latin off the top of my head, apart from the very obvious: Introibo at altare Dei (I will go into the altar of God) which opens Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

However, for completeness, you should know that the other regular endings of the future tense in Latin  (third (-ere: short e) and fourth  (-ire) conjugations) follow this pattern

Infinitive: Benedicere (to bless)

1st person singular:  benedicam  (I will bless)
2nd person singular: benedices  (you will bless)
3rd person singular: benedicet (he, she or it  will bless)
1st person plural: benedicemus (we  will bless)
2nd person plural: benedicetis (you  will bless)
3rd person plural: benedicent (they  will bless)

Latin Lesson: The Angelus

For your revision, recite the Pater Noster, the Ave Maria and the whole of St John's Gospel in the Vulgate (to help you get started: In principium erat Verbum - take it from there...)

Good: well done on the first two; perhaps some work to do on the third. (If I were Dom's piano teacher, I'd persecute you for not having learned the third, regardless both of the nigh-on impossibility of doing so, and the fact I'd never asked you to - but that's another story...)

So let's look at the Angelus.  I imagine there is some correlation between those who pray the Angelus regularly (whether via #twitterangelus or not) and the wise people who await this Latin Course avidly...

So with luck this will be familiar to you.  Whether it is or not, I do recommend rote learning (mainly because it is so unfashionable, of course, but there are other, serious, benefits.)

So here is a recording of it sung in Latin:

The Angelus

(I have omitted the Aves as you know them already, and I have at times used an over-literal word order and translation, to make the relationship of Latin to English words clearer)

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary

Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit

Ecce ancilla Domini 
Behold the handmaid of the Lord

Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. 
May it be done unto me according to thy word.

Et Verbum caro factum est 
And the Word, flesh was made

Et habitavit in nobis 
And dwelt amongst us.

Ora pro nobis Sancta Dei Genetrix 
Pray for us, Holy Mother of God

Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi. 
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Oremus: Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; 
Let us pray: Thy grace, we beseech thee O Lord, into our minds pour forth; 

ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, 
that (we) who by the message of an Angel,

Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, 
 the incarnation of Christ Thy Son came to know; 

per passionem eius et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur.  
by His passion and cross, to the glory of his resurrection may be led.


Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. 
Through the same Christ our Lord.

Divinum auxilium maneat semper nobiscum
The Divine Assistance may it remain always with us

Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen. 
The souls of the faithful, by the mercy of God, may they rest in peace.  Amen.


--


If you have been paying attention as we have progressed, you should be looking at texts like these and spotting, for example, that Domini and Dei are in the genitive case (of the Lord, of God); moreover, you will have been able to deduce that nuntiavit and concepit are third person singular, past (perfect) tense (declared, conceived);  and so on.


You may also have spotted some subjunctives: Fiat, Oremus, maneat, and  requiescant (may it be done, let us pray, may it remain, may they rest).


So you should be at the stage where, with the simultaneous translation, you can see why most of the Latin words are the shape they are.


There are a few exceptions: efficiamur is something we have not seen.  It is a verb, of course (efficio, - I bring to pass, accomplish etc).  Here we have the first person plural (we) subjunctive passive (may be made).  Thus 'ut digni efficiamur' is 'that we may be made worthy.'


In passing, the Latin word 'ut' meaning 'in order that'  is normally (always?) followed by the subjunctive; which is logical, when you think about it: in order that something may be the case or may be made to happen etc: classic subjunctive stuff.


That's all I have time for today, I'm afraid, so more of a revision class with a new text, than a lot to learn.  However, I do propose to continue the classes, and maybe next week we'll add some more grammar.


If you feel short-changed, have a look at this week's new vocabulary, and spot parallels with English words, to help you remember the Latin (eg habitavit and inhabit, habitat; Auxilium and auxilliary; animae and animate and so on ...)