Te Deum
A Hymn which may be said after Mass, or on occasion of any public or private Thanksgiving.
Thee, sovereign God, our grateful accents praise,
We own thee Lord, and bless thy wondrous ways;
To thee, eternal Father, earth’s whole frame
With loudest trumpet sounds immortal fame.
Lord God of hosts! to thee the heavenly pow’rs
With sounding anthems, fill thy vaulted tow’rs;
The Cherubim thrice holy, holy, cry,
Thrice holy, all the Seraphim reply,
And thrice returning echoes endless songs supply.
Both heaven and earth thy majesty display;
They owe their beauty to thy glorious ray.
Thy praises fill the loud apostles’ choir;
The train of prophets in the song conspire;
Legions of martyrs in the chorus shine;
And vocal blood with vocal music join.
By these thy church, inspir’d with heavenly art,
Around the world maintains a second part.
And tunes her sweetest notes, O God, to thee.
The Father of unbounded majesty,
The Son, ador’d co-partner of thy seat,
And equal everlasting Paraclete.
Thou King of glory. Christ; of the Most High,
Thou co-eternal filial Deity.
Thou who, to save the world’s impending doom,
Vouchsafedst to dwell within a virgin’s womb;
Old tyrant death disarmed, before thee flew
The bolts of heav’n, and back the foldings drew,
To give access, and make the faithful way;
From God’s right hand thy filial beams display.
Thou art to judge the living and the dead;
Then spare those souls for whom thy veins have bled.
O take us then among the blest above,
To share with them thy everlasting love.
Preserve, O Lord, thy people, and enhance
Thy blessing on thine own inheritance:
For ever raise their hearts, and rule their ways:
Each day we bless thee, and proclaim thy praise.
No age shall fail to celebrate thy name,
Nor hour neglect thy everlasting fame.
Preserve our souls, O Lord, this day from ill,
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy still.
As we have hop’d, do thou reward our pain.
We’ve hop’d in thee, let not our hope be vain.
V. Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
R. Let us praise and extol him for ever.