Sanctus Augustinus, Confessiones, Liber X, Caput XXVII
Too late loved I Thee, O Thou Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! too late I loved Thee! And behold, Thou wert within, and I abroad, and there I searched for Thee; deformed I, plunging amid those fair forms which Thou hadst made. Thou wert with me, but I was not with Thee. Things held me far from Thee, which, unless they were in Thee, were not at all. Thou calledst, and shoutedst, and burstest my deafness. Thou flashedst, shonest, and scatteredst my blindness. Thou breathedst odours, and I drew in breath and panted for Thee. I tasted, and hunger and thirst. Thou touchedst me, and I burned for Thy peace.
Sero te amavi, pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova, sero te amavi! et ecce intus eras et ego foris, et ibi te quaerebam, et in ista formosa, quae fecisti, deformis inruebam. mecum eras, et tecum non eram. ea me tenebant longe a te, quae si in te non essent, non essent. vocasti et clamasti et rupisti surditatem meam: coruscasti, splenduisti et fugasti caecitatem meam: fragrasti, et duxi spiritum, et anhelo tibi, gustavi et esurio et sitio, tetigisti me, et exarsi in pacem tuam.
Psalm 21
1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David.
In finem, pro susceptione matutina. Psalmus David.
2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.
Deus, Deus meus, respice in me : quare me dereliquisti? Longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum.
3 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.
Deus meus, clamabo per diem, et non exaudies; et nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi.
4 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.
Tu autem in sancto habitas, laus Israel.
5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.
In te speraverunt patres nostri; speraverunt, et liberasti eos.
6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt; in te speraverunt, et non sunt confusi.
7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.
Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo; opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis.
8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.
Omnes videntes me deriserunt me; locuti sunt labiis, et moverunt caput.
9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.
Speravit in Domino, eripiat eum : salvum faciat eum, quoniam vult eum.
10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.
Quoniam tu es qui extraxisti me de ventre, spes mea ab uberibus matris meae.
11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God,
In te projectus sum ex utero; de ventre matris meae Deus meus es tu;
12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.
ne discesseris a me, quoniam tribulatio proxima est, quoniam non est qui adjuvet.
13 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me.
Circumdederunt me vituli multi; tauri pingues obsederunt me.
14 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring.
Aperuerunt super me os suum, sicut leo rapiens et rugiens.
15 I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.
Sicut aqua effusus sum; et dispersa sunt omnia ossa mea. Factum est cor meum tamquam cera liquescens in medio ventris mei.
16 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.
Aruit tamquam testa virtus mea, et lingua mea adhaesit faucibus meis, et in pulverem mortis deduxisti me.
17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.
Quoniam circumdederunt me canes multi; concilium malignantium obsedit me. Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos,
18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me.
dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea. Ipsi vero consideraverunt et inspexerunt me.
19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.
Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.
20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.
Tu autem, Domine, ne elongaveris auxilium tuum a me; ad defensionem meam conspice.
21 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog.
Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam, et de manu canis unicam meam.
22 Save me from the lion's mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.
Salva me ex ore leonis, et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam.
23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.
Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis; in medio ecclesiae laudabo te.
24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.
Qui timetis Dominum, laudate eum; universum semen Jacob, glorificate eum.
25 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.
Timeat eum omne semen Israel, quoniam non sprevit, neque despexit deprecationem pauperis; nec avertit faciem suam a me : et cum clamarem ad eum exaudivit me.
26 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him.
Apud te laus mea in ecclesia magna; vota mea reddam in conspectu timentium eum.
27 The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.
Edent pauperes, et saturabuntur; et laudabunt Dominum qui requirunt eum; vivent corda eorum in saeculum saeculi.
28 All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.
Reminiscentur et convertentur ad Dominum universi fines terrae; et adorabunt in conspectu ejus universae familiae gentium;
29 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he shall have dominion over the nations.
quoniam Domini est regnum, et ipse dominabitur gentium.
30 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.
Manducaverunt et adoraverunt omnes pingues terrae; in conspectu ejus cadent omnes qui descendunt in terram.
31 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.
Et anima mea illi vivet; et semen meum serviet ipsi.
32 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.
Annuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura; et annuntiabunt caeli justitiam ejus, populo qui nascetur, quem fecit Dominus.
