The Canticle of Brother Sun
by St. Francis of Assisi
All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful he is, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious, and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful he is, how gay! Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits and colored flowers and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your will.
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.
—St. Francis of Assisi
From The World's Wisdom, edited by Philip Novak (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995). Used by arrangement with HarperSanFrancisco, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
