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San Francesco d’Assisi Posted by on Oct 6, 2010 in Culture

San Francesco d’Assisi is the Patron Saint of Italy, and when I was a child ‘Saint Francis day’  (the 4th of October) was a national holiday. The great thing about this was that the school year used to start on the 1st of October, so after only three days we were already back on holiday again! Nowadays things are different: school starts around the 10th of September, and ‘Saint Francis day’ has been deleted from the Italian calendar as a national holiday. But, nostalgic memories aside, the reason why I’m writing this article is because I’d like to share with you one of my favorite poems: Cantico di Frate Sole (Canticle of Brother Sun) composed by San Francesco of Assisi in 1224. This is one of the very first poems written in an Italian dialect, il vernacolo umbro (the Umbrian dialect), rather than in Latin, which was the official cultural language at that time.

Cantico di Frate Sole

Altissimu, onnipotente, bon Signore,
tue so’ le laude, la gloria et l’honore et onne benedictione.
Ad te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te mentovare.

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord,
all praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.
To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.
Laudato sie, mi’ Signore, cum tucte le tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate sole,
lo qual’è jorno, et allumini noi per lui.
Et ellu è bellu et radiante cum grande splendore:
de te, Altissimo, porta significatione.

Be praised, my Lord, for all your creatures,
especially for my lord brother sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor:
of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per sora luna e le stelle:
in celu l’ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.

Be praised, my Lord, for sister moon and the stars:
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
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.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother wind
and for air, and clouds, and clear skies, and all weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per sor’aqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.

Be praised, My Lord, for sister water,
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per frate focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte:
et ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother fire,
through whom you brighten the night:
he is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per sora nostra matre terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa,
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti flori et herba.

Be praised, my Lord, for our sister mother earth,
who feeds us and sustains us,
and produces various fruits with colorful flowers, and grass.
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per quelli ke perdonano per lo tuo amore
et sostengo infirmate et tribulatione.
Beati quelli ke ‘l sosterrano in pace,
ka da te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.

Be praised, my Lord, for those who forgive for love of you,
and who endure sickness and affliction.
Happy those who endure all of this in peace,
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.
Laudato si’, 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.

Be praised, my Lord, for our sister bodily death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your most holy will,
for the second death can do no harm to them.
Laudate e benedicete mi’ Signore et rengratiate
e serviateli cum grande humilitate.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve him with great humility.

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Comments:

  1. Reply

    Vince Mooney:

    Salve Serena:

    This is a beautiful poem. However, if you took the reference to ‘mortal sin’ out of this poem, it could pass for a Native American prayer. This is not too far from animism. Do you know if this poem was controversial with the Church at the time?

    Vince

  2. Reply

    Charles Laster:

    A beautiful poem, by a beautiful soul.

  3. Reply

    andreas:

    Salve, Serena!
    è una poesia proprio bella che fa sentire la luce e la pace nel cuore
    Andreas

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