Catholic Chant
Keeping the Faith through Music
Magnificat


Latin English
Magnificat anima mea Dominum
Et exsultavit spiritus meus
In Deo salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae:
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent
Omnes generationes.
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est:
Et sanctum nomen ejus.
Et misericordia ejus
A progenie in progenies,
Timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo:
Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede,
Et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis,
Et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum:
Recordatus misericordiae suae.
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et semini ejus in saecula.

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

 My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the humility of His handmaid:
Behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is from generation to generation,
To those who fear Him.

He has shown might in His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
And exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has received Israel His servant,
Being mindful of His mercy.
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And will be forever. Amen
Media
Magnificat_audio

Season: All
Use: General hymn for Mass, processions, or private prayer.

The Magnificat is Mary's response to her kinswoman Elizabeth's greeting: "And who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"  Mary, as she did during her life on earth and ever since, directs the praise toward God: "My soul doth magnify the Lord..."

 

The Magnificat is also one of the 3 canticles that help define the structure of the monastic day.  The recording is an alternation between the monastery chant, and a simplified (2-part) harmonization of Ciro Grassi's setting.