Psalms and Canticles

We Praise Thee, O God

A hymn of praise and thanksgiving, recalling the birth of Jesus Christ, and the promise of eternal life.

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Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

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We Praise Thee, O God

Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain. Source
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‘When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.’ A sixteenth-century icon of the resurrection of Christ, showing the ‘harrowing of hell’, releasing Adam and Eve. The icon was painted by Markos Bathas (1498-1578). It was during his lifetime that the English Church was undergoing the Protestant Reformation, and destroying all such sacred art as ‘idolatrous.’

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Introduction

This hymn, often known by its Latin title of ‘Te Deum’, is attributed to St Nicetas (?335-414), bishop of Remesiana, now Bela Palanka in the Pirot District of Serbia. Today it forms part of the litany. The translation given here comes from the English Book of Common Prayer (1662).

We Praise Thee, O God.

WE praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the Earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein. To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry. Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabbaoth. Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious Company of the Apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs praise thee. The holy Church throughout all the world acknowledge thee. The Father of an infinite Majesty. Thine honourable, true and only Son. Also the holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou art the king of glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s Womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord save thy people, and bless thine heritage. Govern them, and lift them up for ever. Day by Day we magnify thee. And we worship thy name ever world without end.