Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. Though its authorship is traditionally ascribed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine, on the occasion of the latter's baptism by the former in AD 387, contemporary scholars doubt this attribution, many assigning it to Nicetas, bishop of Remesiana in the late 4th to early 5th centuries. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... Saint Ambrose, mosaic in church St. ... St. ... Events The widowed Roman Emperor Theodosius I marries Galla, sister of his colleague Valentinian II Births Deaths Flaccilla, wife of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Categories: 387 ... Nicetas of Remesiana (335–414) was the bishop of the Dacians in what is now Serbia. ... Remesiana (Bela Palanka in Antic time) is a municipality of Serbia. ...

Some scholars have suggested that the hymn is the merger of two (or more) earlier hymns: one to God the Father and another to God the Son. Under this schema, the second begins with the phrase Tu rex gloriae, Christe. The petitions at the end of the hymn (beginning Salvum fac populum tuum) are a selection of verses from the book of Psalms, appended subsequently to the original hymn. Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. ...

The hymn remains in regular use by the Catholic Church, in the Office of Readings found in the Liturgy of the Hours, and for special occasions such as the canonization of a saint. It is also used together with the standard canticles in Morning Prayer as prescribed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and is retained by many other churches of the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. It is also used by the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Paraklesis (Moleben) of Thanksgiving. The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... The Liturgy of the Hours is particularly popular in monastic communities. ... Canonization is the process of declaring someone a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she is worthy of sainthood. ... In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... A canticle is a hymn (strictly excluding the Psalms) taken from the Bible. ... Morning Prayer, in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, also known as Mattins or Matins, was, until the last quarter of the 20th century, the main Sunday morning service most Sundays in all but the most high church Anglican parishes, with Holy Communion being the main Sunday morning service once... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer is the prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ...

The hymn follows the outline of the Apostles' Creed, mixing a poetic vision of the heavenly liturgy with its declaration of faith. Naming God immediately, the hymn proceeds to name all those who praise and venerate God, from the hierarchy of heavenly creatures to those Christian faithful already in heaven to the Church spread throughout the world. The hymn then returns to its credal formula, naming Christ and recalling his birth, suffering, and glorification. At this point the hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the praise, both the Church in general and the singer in particular, asking for mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for reunification with the elect. The Apostles Creed (in Latin, Symbolum Apostolorum), is an early statement of Christian belief, possibly from the first or second century, but more likely post-Nicene Creed in the early 4th Century AD. The theological specifics of the creed appear to be a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. ...

The text has been set to music by many classical composers, with settings by Bruckner, Berlioz, Haydn, and Dvořák among the better-known. The prelude to Charpentier's setting (H.146 in Hugh Wiley Hitchcock's catalogue) is well-known in Europe on account of it being used as the theme music for some broadcasts of the European Broadcasting Union, most notably the Eurovision Song Contest. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Anton Bruckner Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic era. ... Portrait of Berlioz by Signol, 1832 Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer best known for the Symphonie fantastique, first performed in 1830, and for his Grande Messe des morts Requiem of 1837, with its tremendous resources that include four antiphonal brass choirs. ... (Franz) Joseph Haydn (in German, Josef; he never used the Franz) (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the classical period. ... Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák (listen â–¶(?)) (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer of romantic music. ... Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - February 24, 1704) was a French composer of the Baroque era. ... The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), known in French as LUnion Européenne de Radio-Télévision (UER), and unrelated to the European Union, was formed February 12, 1950 by 23 broadcasting organizations from Europe and the Mediterranean at a conference in the coastal resort of Torquay in Devon... Eurovision Song Contest logo. ...

Latin text, and contemporary and traditional English versions

 Te Deum laudamus: We praise you, God: We praise Thee, O God: te Dominum confitemur. we acknowledge you as Lord. we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. Te aeternum patrem, As the eternal father, All the earth doth worship Thee: omnis terra veneratur. All the earth venerates you. the Father everlasting. Tibi omnes angeli, To you all the angels, To Thee all Angels cry aloud: tibi caeli et universae potestates: to you the heavens and all the powers: the heavens and all the powers therein. tibi cherubim et seraphim, to you the cherubim and seraphim To Thee Cherubin and Seraphin: incessabili voce proclamant: sing with unending voice: continually do cry, "Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus "Holy, Holy, Holy Holy, Holy, Holy: Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Lord God of hosts. Lord God of Sabaoth; Pleni sunt caeli et terra Heaven and earth are full Heaven and earth are full maiestatis gloriae tuae." of the majesty of your glory." of the Majesty: of Thy glory. Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, The glorious chorus of Apostles The glorious company of the Apostles: praises you, praise Thee. te prophetarum laudabilis numerus, the praiseworthy number of prophets The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praises you, praise Thee. te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. the white-robed army of martyrs The noble army of Martyrs: praises you. praise Thee. Te per orbem terrarum The holy Church gives witness to you The holy Church throughout all the sancta confitetur Ecclesia, throughout the whole world world: doth acknowledge Thee; Patrem immensae maiestatis; as the Father of immense majesty; The Father: of an infinite majesty; venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium; your true and only Son who is to be worshipped, Thine honourable, true: and only Son; Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum. and also the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter. Tu rex gloriae, Christe. O Christ, you are the king of glory. Thou art the King of glory: O Christ. Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius. You are the eternal son of the Father. Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father. Tu, ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, Undertaking to liberate humanity, When thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man non horruisti Virginis uterum. you did not dread the womb of the Virgin. Thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb. Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, By overcoming the sting of death, When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum. you opened the kingdom of heaven to believers. Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, You sit at the right hand of God, Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in gloria Patris. in the glory of the Father. in the glory of the Father. Iudex crederis esse venturus. We believe you will come as judge. We believe that Thou shalt come: to be our Judge. Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni, Therefore we ask you, assist your servants, We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti. whom you have redeemed by your precious blood. whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood. Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis Make them to be numbered among the holy ones Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints: in gloria numerari. in eternal glory. in glory everlasting. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, Save your people, Lord, O Lord, save Thy people: et benedic hereditati tuae. and bless your inheritance. and bless Thine heritage. Et rege eos, And rule them, Govern them: et extolle illos usque in aeternum. and lift them up into eternity. and lift them up for ever. Per singulos dies benedicimus te; We bless you every day; Day by day: we magnify Thee; et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, and we praise your name for ever, And we worship Thy Name: et in saeculum saeculi. and throughout all ages. ever world without end. Dignare, Domine, die isto Deign to keep us, O Lord, Vouchsafe, O Lord: sine peccato nos custodire. without sin this day. to keep us this day without sin. Miserere nostri, Domine, Have mercy on us, O Lord, O Lord, have mercy upon us: miserere nostri. have mercy on us. have mercy upon us. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, May your mercy be upon us, O Lord, O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us: quemadmodum speravimus in te. since we have hoped in you. as our trust is in Thee. In te, Domine, speravi: I have hoped in you, O Lord: O Lord, in Thee have I trusted: non confundar in aeternum. may I not be confounded for ever. let me never be confounded. 

The third version of the text above is taken from the Book of Common Prayer (1662), and is the English version most commonly set to music. Notable examples include Sir William Walton's Coronation Te Deum, written for the coronation HM Queen Elizabeth II, in 1952. Composers such as Benjamin Britten, Herbert Howells and Sir Charles Stanford have set the Te Deum many times. Sir William Walton on the set of one of his operas Sir William Turner Walton, OM (March 29, 1902–March 8, 1983) was a British composer whose style was influenced by the works of Stravinsky, Sibelius and jazz. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh, OM (November 22, 1913 – December 4, 1976) was a British composer, conductor and pianist. ... Herbert (Norman) Howells (17 October 1892—23 February 1983) was an English composer and teacher. ... Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (September 30, 1852 - 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer. ...

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry
• Two translations