Confessions I.1
magnus es, domine, et laudabilis valde. magna virtus tua et sapientiae tuae non est numerus. et laudare te vult homo, aliqua portio creaturae tuae, et homo circumferens mortalitatem suam, circumferens testimonium peccati sui et testimonium quia superbis resistis; et tamen laudare te vult homo, aliqua portio creaturae tuae.
Great are You, Lord, and greatly to be praised. Great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is no number. And man, some portion of Your creation, wants to praise You—man, who carries his mortality about, who carries the witness of his sin and the witness that You resist the proud; and yet man, some portion of Your creation, wants to praise You.
tu excitas ut laudare te delectet, quia fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te. da mihi, domine, scire et intellegere utrum sit prius invocare te an laudare te, et scire te prius sit an invocare te. sed quis te invocat nesciens te? aliud enim pro alio potest invocare nesciens
You stir him so that it delights him to praise You, because You made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You. Give to me, Lord, to know and understand whether it is first to call upon You or to praise You, and whether to know You is first or to call upon You. But who calls upon You not knowing You? For the one who does not know You may call upon something else instead of You.
an potius invocaris ut sciaris? quomodo autem invocabunt, in quem non crediderunt? aut quomodo credent sine praedicante? et laudabunt dominum qui requirunt eum: quaerentes enim inveniunt eum et invenientes laudabunt eum. quaeram te, domine, invocans te et invocem te credens in te: praedicatus enim es nobis. invocat te, domine, fides mea, quam dedisti mihi, quam inspirasti mihi per humanitatem filii tui, per ministerium praedicatoris tui.
Or is it rather that one is called upon so that He may be known? But how will they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? Or how will they believe without a preacher? And they will praise the Lord who seek Him; for those who seek find Him, and those who find will praise Him. I will seek You, Lord, by calling upon You, and I will call upon You by believing in You, for You have been preached to us. My faith calls upon You, Lord, that faith which You have given to me, which You have breathed into me through the humanity of Your Son, through the ministry of Your preacher.
et quomodo invocabo deum meum, deum et dominum meum, quoniam utique in me ipsum eum vocabo, cum invocabo eum? et quis locus est in me quo veniat in me deus meus, quo deus veniat in me, deus qui fecit caelum et terram? itane, domine deus meus? est quicquam in me quod capiat te?
2
And how shall I call upon my God, my God and my Lord? For surely, when I call upon Him, I call Him into myself—yet what place is there in me where my God may come? Where may God come into me, the God who made heaven and earth? Is there anything in me, Lord my God, that can contain You? Or do heaven and earth, which You have made and in which You have made me, contain You?
an vero caelum et terra, quae fecisti et in quibus me fecisti, capiunt te? an quia sine te non esset quidquid est, fit ut quidquid est capiat te? quoniam itaque et ego sum, quid peto ut venias in me, qui non essem nisi esses in me? non enim ego iam inferi, et tamen etiam ibi es, nam etsi descendero in infernum, ades.
Or, because nothing would exist without You, does it follow that whatever exists contains You Why then do I ask that You come into me, when I would not even exist unless You were already in me? For I am not yet in hell, and yet even there You are, for if I descend into hell, You are there.
Therefore, my God, I would not exist—I would not exist at all—unless You were in me. Or rather, should I not say that I would not exist unless I were in You, from whom are all things, through whom are all things, in whom are all things? Even so, Lord, even so. Where then do I call You, since I am in You? Or from where would You come into me? For where could I go beyond heaven and earth, that from there my God may come into me—He who has said, I fill heaven and earth?
non ergo essem, deus meus, non omnino essem, nisi esses in me. an potius non essem nisi essem in te, ex quo omnia, per quem omnia, in quo omnia? etiam sic, domine, etiam sic. quo te invoco, cum in te sim? aut unde venias in me? quo enim recedam extra caelum et terram, ut inde in me veniat deus meus, qui dixit, 'caelum et terram ego impleo'?
3
capiunt ergone te caelum et terra, quoniam tu imples ea? an imples et restat, quoniam non te capiunt? et quo refundis quidquid impleto caelo et terra restat ex te? an non opus habes ut quoquam continearis, qui contines omnia, quoniam quae imples continendo imples?
Do heaven and earth, then, contain You, since You fill them? Or do You fill them, and yet something of You remains, because they cannot contain You? And where do You pour out what remains of You after heaven and earth are filled? Or do You not need to be contained anywhere, since You contain all things, because whatever You fill, You fill by containing it?
non enim vasa quae te plena sunt stabilem te faciunt, quia etsi frangantur non effunderis. et cum effunderis super nos, non tu iaces sed erigis nos, nec tu dissiparis sed conligis nos. sed quae imples omnia, te toto imples omnia.
For the vessels that are full of You do not make You stable, for even if they are broken, You are not poured out. And when You are poured out upon us, You do not fall, but You lift us up; nor are You scattered, but You gather us together. But You, who fill all things, fill all things with Your whole self.
an quia non possunt te totum capere omnia, partem tui capiunt et eandem partem simul omnia capiunt? an singulas singula et maiores maiora, minores minora capiunt? ergo est aliqua pars tua maior, aliqua minor? an ubique totus es et res nulla te totum capit?
Or, because all things cannot contain You wholly, do they contain a part of You, and do all things contain the same part at once? Or does each thing contain its own part—greater things a greater part, smaller things a smaller part? Then is one part of You greater and another smaller? Or are You wholly everywhere, while nothing contains You entirely?
Quid es ergo, deus meus? Quid, rogo, nisi dominus deus? Quis enim dominus praeter dominum? Aut quis deus praeter deum nostrum? Summe, optime, potentissime, omnipotentissime, misericordissime et iustissime, secretissime et praesentissime, pulcherrime et fortissime, stabilis et incomprehensibilis, immutabilis mutans omnia, numquam novus numquam vetus, innovans omnia et in vetustatem perducens superbos et nesciunt.
4
What, then, are You, O my God? What, I ask, if not the Lord God? For who is Lord except the Lord? Or who is God except our God? Most high, most good, most mighty, most almighty; most merciful and most just; most hidden and most present; most beautiful and most strong; unshaken and incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet changing all things; never new, never old; renewing all things, yet leading the proud into decay, and they do not know it.
Semper agens, semper quietus, conligens et non egens, portans et implens et protegens, creans et nutriens et perficiens, quaerens cum nihil desit tibi. Amas nec aestuas, zelas et securus es, paenitet te et non doles, irasceris et tranquillus es, opera mutas nec mutas consilium, recipis quod invenis et numquam amisisti.
Always acting, always at rest; gathering, yet lacking nothing; carrying, filling, and protecting; creating, nourishing, and perfecting; seeking, though nothing is lacking to You. You love, yet are not inflamed; You are jealous, yet secure; You repent, yet do not grieve; You are angry, yet tranquil; You change works, yet do not change Your plan; You take back what You find, yet have never lost anything.
You are never in need, yet You rejoice in gain; You are never greedy, yet demand what is due. More than enough is given to You, that You may owe—yet who has anything that is not Yours? You repay debts while owing nothing; You forgive debts while losing nothing. And what have I said, O my God, my life, my holy sweetness? Or what does anyone say when speaking of You? Yet woe to those who are silent about You, for even those who speak are mute.
Numquam inops et gaudes lucris, numquam avarus et usuras exigis, supererogatur tibi ut debeas: et quis habet quicquam non tuum? Redis debita nulli debens, donas debita nihil perdens. Et quid diximus, deus meus, vita mea, dulcedo mea sancta, aut quid dicit aliquis cum de te dicit? Et vae tacentibus de te, quoniam loquaces muti sunt.