Laudate Dominum

Laudáte Dóminum omnes gentes
(laudáte éum) omnes populi
Quóniam confirmáta est
súper nos misericordia eius
et véritas Domini mánet in æternum
Glória Pátri et Filio et Spiritui Sáncto.
Sicut érat in pricipio et nunc et semper
et in sáecula sáeculorum Amen.

 

The hymn "Laudate Dominum" which we sing at most of our functions here in Mangalore is actually the 117th Psalm - the shortest Psalm/Chapter in the Bible. For the meaning you may simply look up the Psalm in any modern English translation of the Bible. However, in the older translations, the Psalm is numbered 116, following the Greek rather than the Hebrew sources used in current translations. That explains the difference in the numbering. The Greek numbering is still retained in our liturgy. So far as the verse numbering is concerned, the Hebrew generally begins numbering the verses from the body of the Psalm leaving its preceding title out of account.

 

Numbering of Psalms in the Greek and Hebrew

 

Greek Septuagint   1-8 9 10-112 113 114-115 116-145 146-147 148-150

Hebrew   1-8 9-10 11-113 114-115 116 117-146 147 148-150

 

 

Here is the text of the Psalm from the Latin & English Old Testaments

 

From the Latin Vulgate

Psalm 116

I

116:1 alleluia laudate Dominum omnes gentes laudate eum omnes populi

116:2 quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius et veritas Domini manet in saeculum

II

116:1 laudate Dominum omnes gentes conlaudate eum universi populi

116:2 quia confortata est super nos misericordia eius et veritas Domini in aeternum alleluia

 

From the Nova Vulgata

PSALMUS 117 (116)

1 ALLELUIA. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes; collaudate eum, omnes populi.

2 Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius, et veritas Domini manet in aeternum

 

From the Douay Rheims Bible

Psalms Chapter 116

Laudate Dominum.

All nations are called upon to praise God for his mercy and truth.

Alleluia.

116:1. O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

116:2. For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

 

The second part of the song is nothing but the doxology, the 'Glory Be', which is said at the end of every Psalm or Canticle in the 'Offices' (ex. The Divine Office) and for that matter even at the end of every decade of the Rosary which itself is known as 'Mary's Psalter'.

 

Glory Be

'Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen'