Benedictus

   This word begins four canticles sung at lauds in various rites: the Canticle of David (1 Chronicles 29:10–13); the canticle from the Prayer of Azariah (a deuterocanonical book included by some traditions in the Book of Daniel, 3–22); the canticle of the three young men from the same Prayer of Azariah, 29–68; and the Canticle of Zachariah (St. Luke 1:68–79; The Canticle of Zachariah is an ordinary prayer at lauds in the Roman and Byzantine rites. In the Gregorian tradition, it is chanted as would a psalm, with framing antiphons and the corresponding tone, except that there is an intonation for each verse pair. Polyphonic settings are rare; in the special lauds that formed part of the Tenebrae, simple polyphonic settings in falsobordone can be found. Benedictus also denotes the latter part of the Sanctus ordinary from the Roman Catholic mass, which in polyphonic settings is often composed as a separate movement or pars.

   See also Morning Prayer; Orthrōs.

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Benedictus Dominus Deus Is-          |   Blessed be the Lord God of Is

rael, quia visitavit et fecit rede-  |   rael, for he hath visited and re

mptionem plebis suae. Et erexit      |   deemed his people. And he hath

cornu salutis nobis, in domo         |   raised up a mighty salvation for

David pueri sui.                     |   us, in the house of his servant

Sicut locutus est per os sancto-     |   David; And he spake by the

rum, qui a saeculo sunt, proph-      |   mouth of his holy prophets,

etarum ejus.                         |   which have been since the

Salutem ex inimicis nostris, et      |   world began; that we should be

de manu omnium qui oderunt           |   saved from our enemies and

nos.                                 |   from the hand of all that hate

                                     |   us; to perform the mercy prom-

Ad faciendam misericordiam           |   ised to our forefathers and to

cum patribus nostris, et memor-      |   remember his holy convenant;

ari testamenti sui sancti.           |   to perform this oath which He

Jusjurandum, quod juravit ad         |   sware to our forefather Abra-

Abraham patrem nostrum, da-          |   ham, that he would give us; that

turum se nobis. Ut sine timore,      |   we being delivered out of the

de manu inimcorum nostrorum          |   hand of our enemies, might

liberati, serviamus illi. In sancti- |   serve him without fear, in holitate

et justitia coram ipso, omni-        |   ness and righteousness before

bus deibus nostris.                  |   him, all the days of our life.

Et tu puer, propheta Altissimi       |   And thou, child, shall be called

vocaberis, praeibis enim ante fa-    |   the prophet of the Highest: for

ciem Domini parare vias ejus.        |   thou shalt go before the face of

Ad dandam scientiam salutis          |   the Lord to prepare His ways,

plebi ejus, in remissionem pec-      |   to give knowledge of salvation

catorum eorum. Per viscera mis-      |   unto his people for the rem

isericordiae Dei nostri, in quibus   |   sion of their sins. Through the

visitavit nos, oriens ex alto. Il-   |   tender mercy of our God,

luminare his qui in tenebris et      |   whereby the dayspring from on

in umbra mortis sedent, ad diri-     |   high hath visited us, to give

gendos pedes nostros in viam         |   light to them that sit in dark

pacis.                               |   ness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.