A familiar hymn, All Creatures of Our God and King – performed here by our church choir singing an arrangement by Kelly Anderson – was based off the writings of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Saint Francis is often associated with nature and to this day there are churches that celebrate the feast day of Saint Francis on October 4th by bringing their pets along to the church to receive a blessing.
His love of nature was clear in the words he wrote in the last year of his life. He was nearly blind and had developed a sensitivity to the sun, so he could no longer physically enjoy nature, but, as Father Eric Doyle wrote, “he was able to see more clearly than ever with the inner eye of his mind.” It was through his memory of the nature he loved so dearly that he dictated his poem, “Canticle of the Sun.”
St. Francis preaching to the birds outside of Bevagna (by Master of St. Francis).
Around 1910, William H. Draper translated and paraphrased the “Canticle of the Sun” into English for a Whitsun celebration in Leeds, England. Whitsun being another name among Anglicans and Methodist for Pentecost. Draper set the words to the tune Lasst uns erfreuen, a tune that first appeared in 1623, though he used the arrangement created by Ralph Vaughn Williams in 1900. The tune itself is written to have “Alleluia’s” at the end of every line, which lends itself to this text of praise for God’s creation.
The text references various aspects of nature, the ones Saint Francis often addressed in his own teachings as Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Mother Earth. He saw the unity of all creation and perceived everything as praise to God – an example we can all learn from.
I’ve included the text for both the hymn and the “Canticle of the Sun” below so you can see Saint Francis’s original (translated) words and the paraphrased version Draper popularized!
Canticle of the Sun
Most High, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you light the night and he is beautiful
and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
All Creatures of Our God and King
Sources
Comments