Francis of Assisi was
born
around 1182.
His father was the
rich
merchant
Bernardone and his
mother was Pica.
One day, when Francis
was joking and
laughing with
his friends, a beggar
came along
crying for alms.
Francis gave whatever
he had in his pocket
to the beggar.
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The sight of the beggar set him thinking
about the poverty and misery of mundane
life.
Francis gave up his old
ways and habits and set
up to serve God.
St. Francis
collected
many
followers and
in 1212
founded the
Order of
Franciscan
Mendicants.
He died in 1226, at the age of 45.
This canticle was
composed by Francis in
1224, after a night of
extreme physical and
emotional pain and it is
one of the most important
works of Italian literature.
The canticle isn’t
written in lines, but it
is rhythmic prose work,
divided in groups of
two, three or five
versicles, like the
psalms of the Bible. It
hasn’t got just a
religious value, but also
a literary value.
There’s a continuous repetition of the
words “Laudato si’” and Francis writes
also about the four basic elements:
water, fire, air and earth. The water is
very useful, precious and pure; the fire
is beautiful and strong and it lights up
the night; the air supports the
creatures; the earth gives the
nourishment with its colourful fruit.
The canticle of brother sun was written in
Umbrian vulgar/vernacular with a simple
language. The text is rich of assonances and
repetitions and it celebrates the praises of
God through every creature. Like the
Brother Sun, everything is good and perfect
and it symbolizes the omnipotence and the
mercy of God. Beyond natural elements,
even pain and death are ways to reach
eternal life.
Altissimu, onnipotente bon Signore,
Tue so' le laude, la gloria et l'honore
et omne benedictione.
Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te
mentovare.
Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and
all blessing.
To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce
your name.
Laudato sie, mi' Signore cum tucte le
Tue creature,
spetialmente messer lo frate Sole,
lo qual è iorno, et allumeni noi per
lui.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande
splendore:
de Te, Altissimo, porta
significatione.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your
creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light
through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his
splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the
likeness.
Laudato si', mi Signore, per
sora Luna e le stelle:
in celu l'ài formate clarite et
pretiose et belle
Be praised, my Lord, through
Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made
them bright, precious and
beautiful.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per
frate Vento
et per aere et nubilo et sereno
et onne tempo,
per lo quale, a le Tue creature
dài sustentamento.
Be praised, my Lord, through
Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all
the weather,
through which you give your
creatures sustenance.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per
sor Aqua,
la quale è molto utile et
humile et pretiosa et casta.
Be praised, My Lord,
through Sister Water; she
is very useful, and
humble, and precious,
and pure.
Laudato si', mi Signore, per
frate Focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la
nocte:
ed ello è bello et iocundo et
robustoso et forte
Be praised, my Lord, through
Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten
the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful,
and powerful and
strong.
Laudato si', mi' Signore, per
sora nostra matre Terra,
la quale ne sustenta et
governa,
et produce diversi fructi con
coloriti flori et herba.
Be praised, my Lord,
through our sister Mother
Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various
fruits with colored flowers
and herbs.
Laudato si', mi Signore, per quelli
che perdonano per lo Tuo amore
et sostengono infirmitate et
tribulatione.
Beati quelli ke 'l sosterranno in pace,
ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano
incoronati.
Be praised, my Lord, through
those who forgive for love of you;
through those who endure
sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in
peace,
for by you, Most High, they will
be crowned.
Laudato si' mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte
corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente po' skappare:
guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trovarà ne le Tue sanctissime
voluntati,
ka la morte secunda no 'l farrà male.
Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate
e serviateli cum grande humilitate.
Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve him with great humility.
The canticle has two parts:
1.In the first part there are the thanks to the Lord for all
things created by him.
2.In the second part stands out the forgiveness, the
acceptance of life’s pains and the praise of people that
are in the grace of God.
He didn’t write, like Jacopone da Todi (an important
poet of the same age), a love text for a woman but his
love was for God.
In the text he called the elements of nature with
some personification like “brother” or “sister”; for
example: “Brother Sun is beautiful and radiant in all
his splendor”, “ Sister Moon and the stars are
precious and beautiful”, “Sister Water is very useful,
humble, precious and pure” and “Brother Fire
is beautiful, cheerful, powerful and strong.
All the same St. Francis doesn’t praise God only for
the good things he had created for the human beings,
but also those people who forgive in the name of love.
On the contrary he condemns those people who will
die because of mortal sins they committed in the
past.
Towards the end of the canticle, there’s a very
important phrase: “Sora nostra morte
corporale, da la quale nullu homo vivente po’
skappare”, which it means: “The corporal death
is our sister and no one can’t escape from it”. St.
Francis is not scared of death, but he is happy
because thanks to death his soul will have a
direct connection with God.
At the end of the canticle there’s an invitation
to praise and love God with humility and
sincerity.