Te Deum (paraphrased)

The following is a paraphrase of the ‘Te Deum’:

Holy God, we praise Thy name;

Lord of all, we bow before Thee!

All on earth Thy septer claim,

All in Heaven above adore Thee;

Infinite Thy vast domain,

Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark! the loud celestial hymn

Angel choirs above are raising,

Cherubim and seraphim,

In unceasing chorus praising;

Fill the heavens with sweet accord:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord.

Lo! the apostolic train

Join the sacred Name to hallow;

Prophets swell the loud refrain,

And the white robed martyrs follow;

And from morn to set of sun,

Through the Church the song goes on.

Holy Father, Holy Son, 

Holy spirit, Three we name Thee;

While in essence only One,

Undivided God we claim Thee,

And adoring bend the knee,

While we own the mystery.

Thou art King of glory, Christ;

Son of God, yet born of Mary,

For us sinners sacrificed,

And to death a tributary:

First to break the bars of death,

Thou has opened Heaven to faith.

From Thy high celestial home, 

Judge of all, again returning,

We believe that Thou shalt come

In the dreaded doomsday morning;

When Thy voice shall shake the earth,

And the startled dead come forth

Therefore do we pray Thee, Lord:

Help Thy servants whom, redeeming

By Thy precious blood out-poured,

Thou hast saved from Satan’s scheming.

Give to them eternal rest

In the glory of the best.

Spare Thy people, Lord, we pray. 

By a thousand snares surrounded:

Keep us without sin today.

Never let us be confounded.

Lo, I put by trust in Thee;

Never, Lord abandon me.