Te Deum Laudamus (Latin for “We Praise You, God”) is one of the oldest Christian hymns still used in the Church today. It is commonly attributed to Ambrose (c. 340–397).
We praise you, O God: we acknowledge you to be the Lord. All the earth worships you, the Father everlasting. To you all angels cry aloud: the heavens, and all the powers therein. To you cherubim and seraphim continually cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory.” The glorious company of the apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of the prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. The holy Church throughout all the world does acknowledge you: the Father of an infinite majesty; your honorable, true, and only Son; also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
You are the King of glory, O Christ; you are the everlasting Son of the Father. When you took it upon yourself to deliver man, you did not abhor the Virgin’s womb. When you had overcome the sharpness of death, you opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You sit at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that you shall come to be our Judge. We therefore ask you, help your servants, whom you have redeemed with your precious blood. Make us to be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save your people, and help your heritage. Govern us, and lift us up forever. Day by day we magnify you; and we worship your name forever, world without end. Graciously grant, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us; have mercy upon us. O Lord, let your mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in you. O Lord, in you have I trusted: let me never be confounded.
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 Cherubim and Seraphim con|tinually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of | Sabaoth;
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 | doth acknowledge thee;
The Father of an infinite Majesty; Thine adorable, 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 de|liver man,
Thou didst humble thyself to be | born of • a Virgin.
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 | magni•fy thee;
And we worship thy Name ever | world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day with|out sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have | mercy • upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our | trust • is in • thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never | be confounded.
An Anglican chant (see also “How to Chant the Te Deum laudamus“):
Another chant of the BCP translation with a tune from Lutheran Liturgical Brotherhood Prayerbook
Simple Tone Chant for Sing the Hours
Composition by John Rutter:
In verse:
See also Holy God, We Praise Thy Name, a hymn based on the Te Deum.