Canticle of the Sun (Francis of Assisi)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sculpture Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis in Burgholzhausen

The Canticle of the Sun is a prayer composed by Francis of Assisi in the 13th century. It praises the beauty of creation and thanks God for it. This hymn is considered to be the oldest evidence of Italian literature .

General

Francis wrote his song about creation ( Il Cantico delle Creature , Cantico di Frate Sole or Latin Laudes Creaturarum , etiam Canticum Fratris Solis ) at the end of his life, probably at the end of 1224 or beginning of 1225, when he was seriously ill in San Damiano near Assisi . In it he calls people to praise God in all his creatures. The authenticity is attested by the biography of Thomas von Celano (2 Celano 213). He compares the song with the singing of the three young men in the fiery furnace ( Dan 3.51  EU ). Celano reports that Francis had two of his brothers sing the song at the hour of his death. Some sources assume that the first nine stanzas were written earlier and that the peace stanza was added a little later. The death strophe was written by Francis shortly before his death.

The song was composed by Francis of Assisi in " volgare umbro", a high medieval Umbrian dialect. In contrast to most of the other texts by St. Francis, the Umbrian vernacular version of the Canticle of the Sun has been preserved. Seal in the vernacular was highly unusual in the Italian culture of the time. The song of the sun is considered the oldest evidence of Italian literature .

The Italian original speaks of “brother sun” and “sister moon” because in Italian and Latin the sun is masculine ( il sole ), the moon feminine ( la luna ); the same applies to “sister death” ( la morte ). German translations often adapt the text to German usage and speak of "Sister Sun" etc. The translation given below, on the other hand, is literal.

The hymn of the sun is one of the most widely received prayers of Francis. It is often viewed in terms of pure natural romance. However, this is incorrect; Creation is central, but prayer is directed to God the Creator. Creation is thus not romantically transfigured for its own sake, but serves as a reason for praise and thanks to God, including the acceptance of illness and death.

The song of the sun

Text in «volgare umbro» German translation
Il Cantico di Frate Sole (Cantico delle Creature) The song of brother sun (song of the creatures)

Altissimu onnipotente bon signore,
do so le laude la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione.
Ad te solo, altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ene dignu te mentovare.

Laudato
sie , mi 'signore, cun tucte le tue creature, spetialmente messor lo frate sole,
lo qual'è iorno, et allumini noi per loi.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cun grande splendore,
de te, altissimo, porta significatione.

Laudato si ', mi signore, per sora luna e le stelle,
in celu l'ài formats clarite et pretiose et belle.

Laudato si ', mi signore, per frate vento,
et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale a le tue creature dai sustentamento.

Laudato si ', mi' signore, per sor aqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.

Laudato si ', mi' signore, per frate focu,
per lo quale enn'allumini la nocte,
ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.

Laudato si, mi 'signore, per sora nostra matre terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa,
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti flori et herba.

Laudato si ', mi' signore, per quelli ke perdonano per lo tuo amore, et sostengo infirmitate et tribulatione.
Beati quelli ke 'l sosterrano in pace,
ka da te, altissimo, sirano incoronati.

Laudato si ', mi' signore, per sora nostra morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappare.
Guai acquelli, ke morrano ne le peccata mortali:
beati quelli ke trovarà ne le tue sanctissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda nol farra male.

Laudate et benedicete mi 'signore,
et rengratiate et serviateli cum grande humilitate.

Most high, almighty, good Lord,
yours is praise, glory and honor and every blessing.
You alone, Most High, they are due,
and no one is worthy of calling you.

Praise you, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially the Lord Brother Sun,
who gives us the day and through which you shine for us.
And it is beautiful and shining in great splendor:
of you, Most High, a symbol.

Praise be to you, sir, for sister moon and the stars.
In the sky you formed them, clear and precious and beautiful.

Praise you, my Lord, for brother wind,
for air and clouds and bright and all
kinds of weather, through which you keep your creatures alive.

Praise be to you, sir, for sister water.
She is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praise be to you, sir, for brother fire,
by which you light up the night.
And he is beautiful and happy and powerful and strong.

You are to be praised, sir, for our sister mother earth ,
who sustains and guides us and
produces a variety of fruits, with colorful flowers and herbs.

Praise be to you, my Lord, for those who forgive for your love's sake
and endure sickness and adversity.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
for you, Most High, will one day crown them.

Praise be to you, my lord, for our sister, the physical death;
no living person can escape it.
Woe to those who die in deadly sin.
Blessed are those he will find in your most holy will,
for the second death will do them no harm.

Praise and praise my Lord
and give thanks and serve him with great humility.

Illustrations

Original pages from Codex 338 from the Fondo Antico of the Biblioteca Communale in Assisi, kept in the Sacro Convento di San Francesco, Assisi, Italy:

  • fol. 33r

  • fol. 34v

Liturgical use

The sun song is also used in Christian worship services:

  • The Praise of God contains the following versions:
    • the original text no. 19.2
    • a paraphrase by Kurt Rose "Lord, the creatures praise you", no. 466
    • the setting of Riz Ortolani , “Highest, omnipotent and good Lord” (title melody for the film “Il Poverello”), Gotteslob Austria No. 864
    • the paraphrase of Alexander Ziegert you praises, my God, what you do to the tune go out, my heart, looking for Freud in the Diocesan part of Hamburg / Hildesheim / Osnabrück, no. 812
  • The main part of the Evangelical Hymnbook (No. 515), the Catholic hymnbook of the Diocese of Essen Hallelujah from 2010 and many other songbooks contain a song whose refrain takes over the first line of the Franciscan trophies in the original Italian: Laudato si, o mi signore ; the nine stanzas are based on the original only associatively.

Reception in art

The theme of the song of the sun was also implemented in the art world:

Reception in music

The song of the sun also found wide echo in the music:

  • Conrad Artmüller : Cantico delle Creature , Symphonic Suite for large orchestra, choir and solo voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). First performance 2009 in Vienna, 2010 Italian first performance in the Basilica Superiore San Francesco, Assisi.
  • Alfred Baum : "The Song of the Sun" of St. Francis of Assisi for alto (mezzo-soprano) and organ (1937–1939)
  • Angelo Branduardi : Il Cantico delle Creature , German: Der Sonne Gesang .
  • Jim Curnow : Canticle of the Creatures , symphonic suite for wind orchestra.
  • Max Drischner : Sun Hymn , Passacaglia in E major for organ. 1955, Schultheiss CLS220.
  • Petr Eben : Cantico delle creature , motet for four-part mixed choir a cappella.
  • Sandro Fuga : Cantico delle creature: per una voce media con accompagnamento di pianoforte , 1943. Torino.
  • Kurt Gäbele (music) / Paul Nagler (text): Franziskus - Das Musical, musical for wind orchestra, choir and solo voices. In the second part, the sun song is sung before the two times (modern and medieval) meet for the finale. World premiere in 2007 in Hawangen near Memmingen.
  • Sofia Gubaidulina : Sonnengesang , for violoncello, mixed choir, percussion and celesta. 1997.
  • Paavo Heininen : "Cantico della Creature", op. 17 (1968–70). [baritone and orchestra or piano]
  • Helge Jung : Laudes Creaturarum - quas fecit Beatus Franciscus ad Laudem et Honorem Dei , for four to eight-part mixed choir a cappella op. 39. 1982.
  • Benno Jünemann : Der Sonnengesang , for four-part choir, soprano, bass and organ. 1995.
  • Wilhelm Killmayer : “Altissimu” Lobgesang des Franz von Assisi , 1969 [soprano, tenor flute, bongo, 3 tom-toms and timpani,], Mainz, Schott.
  • Franz Liszt : The Sun Hymn of St. Francis of Assisi (Cantico del sol di San Francesco d'Assisi), for baritone, male choir, orchestra and organ. 1862, revised 1880–1881. Piano version first edited in 1983.
  • Klaus Miehling : The Canticle of the Sun of Francis of Assisi , motet for soprano, tenor (baritone), treble recorder, baroque violin, organ and figured bass op. 147. 2008, Flautando manuscript collection.
  • Paul Müller-Zürich : Der Sonnengesang des Sankt Franz von Assisi, op. 29 (1938, premier April 3, 1939) for soprano and alto solo, small female choir, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello, double bass
  • Carl Orff : Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis , for 4stg. Women's or children's choir. 1954, Schott Verlag.
  • Riz Ortolani , Donovan Leitch : Fratello sole, sorella luna (Italian version), or Brother Sun, Sister Moon (English version), for the film Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Franco Zeffirelli . 1972.
  • Daniel Pacitti : "Cantico delle Creature", for solo voice, choir and instrumental accompaniment: piano, flute, guitar, November 2017. [1]
  • Johannes Petzold : Canticle of the Sun after Franz von Assisi , for 1–3stg. Children's choir, solo voices (soprano, baritone), flute and organ. 1975, Strube Edition 1261.
  • Winfried Pilz : Laudato si , New Spiritual Song by Winfried Pilz. It was included in the Evangelical Hymnbook of 1993 (No. 515, category Nature and Seasons) in free reference to the Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi to an anonymously transmitted melody from Italy.
  • Peter Reulein (music) / Helmut Schlegel ( libretto ): Laudato si '- A Franciscan Magnificat . Oratorio for choir and orchestra, Dehm Verlag , premiered on November 6, 2016 in Limburg Cathedral
  • Gerald Spitzner : “Cantico delle Creature” for 2 choirs and orchestra . TV broadcast of the world premiere on December 8, 2009 for the 800th anniversary of the Franciscan Order in the Bernardine Monastery in Rzeszów, Poland.
  • Walter Steffens : Cantico della Creatura - sun song by Francesco d'Assisi , for singing and glockenspiel (also for soprano and alto flute). Commissioned by the Society of Friends of Music at Marienmünster Abbey. 2002.
  • Ludger Stühlmeyer : Sound speech - Sonnengesang des Franziskus , for choir (SATB), violin and organ, premiere: Capella Mariana 2015 as part of the Days of New Church Music in Bavaria.
  • Hermann Suter : Oratorio Le Laudi di San Francesco d'Assisi . First performance in 1924.
  • Klemens Vereno : The Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi , for soprano, tenor, unanimous acc. Choir and chamber orchestra. 1984, edition KV.
  • Andreas Weil: Sonnengesang , for choir and organ of equal voices. 2006, Möseler Verlag.
  • Andreas Willscher : Aquarium , composition cycle for organ inspired by the glass windows in the Franziskuskirche Hamburg-Barmbek for singing the sun. 2008, Butz Verlag 2158.
  • Andreas Willscher: Insectarium , composition cycle for organ inspired by the glass windows in the Franziskuskirche Hamburg-Barmbek for the song of the sun. 2004, Butz Verlag 1908.
  • Andreas Willscher: Vogelarium , composition cycle for organ inspired by the glass windows in the Franziskuskirche Hamburg-Barmbek for singing the sun. 2011, Butz Verlag 2408.

literature

  • Vittore Branca : Il Cantico di frate sole. Studio delle fonti e testo critico , Florence 1950, 1962; Editore Olschki 4th edition 2012, ISBN 978-8822215222
  • Thomas Eder : Le "Cantique de frère soleil" (François d'Assise). In: Savoir et clinique. Revue de psychanalyse , ed. by Franz Kaltenbeck, No. 8, pp. 117–126.
  • Lothar Hardick , Engelbert Grau: The writings of St. Francis of Assisi. 8th edition. Dietrich Coelde, Werl 1984, pp. 212-215.
  • Jacques Le Goff : Francis of Assisi. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-608-94287-4 , pp. 110-112.
  • Erhard-Wolfram Platzeck OFM : The sun song of St. Francis of Assisi : comprehensive philological-interpretative investigation with the oldest song text and renewed German translation, Franziskanische Forschungen 30th issue, 2nd revised edition Dietrich-Coelde-Verlag, 1984, ISBN 3-67163- 148-5 .
  • Bernhard Lang: Religion and Literature in Three Millennia. Hundert Bücher , Paderborn: Schöningh 2019, ISBN 978-3-506-79227-3 , pp. 229-237.

Web links

Wikisource: Cantico di Frate Sole  - Sources and full texts (Italian)
Wikisource: Canticum fratris Solis  - Sources and full texts (Latin)
Wikisource: Sonnen-Gesang  - Sources and full texts
Wikiquote: Francis of Assisi  - Quotes
Commons : Canticle of the Sun  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Oktavian Schmucki : Franciscus "Dei laudator et cultor" ; in: Laurentianum 10 (1969), pp. 34-35
  2. ↑ franziskaner.net, The Song of the Sun (Author: Brother Peter Forbes)
  3. ↑ Leonhard Lehmann OFM Cap , Gotteslob 19.2.
  4. ↑ On the CD "L'infinitamente piccolo" from 2000. Official website of A. Branduardi: "L'infinitamente piccolo" , accessed on May 2, 2011.
  5. ^ Francis - The Musical. In: www.franziskus-musical.de. Retrieved May 28, 2016 .
  6. ^ Francis - The Musical. In: www.franziskus-musical.de. Retrieved May 28, 2016 .
  7. ↑ Silvia Harnisch, “Sonnengesang”, CD 2012, Müller & Schade, Bern audio samples of the piano version
  8. ^ Gabriel Dessauer, Franz Fink, Andreas Großmann, Peter Reulein: Laudato si '- A Franciscan Oratorio - oratorio for choir, solos and orchestra . Ed .: Department of Church Music of the Diocese of Limburg . Limburg an der Lahn November 6, 2016 (text booklet for the premiere on November 6, 2016 in the High Cathedral of Limburg ).
  9. ↑ Pontifical Mass and Festival Concert - Church Music Department in the Diocese of Limburg celebrates its 50th birthday. (No longer available online.) Diocese of Limburg , October 25, 2016, archived from the original on November 6, 2016 ; accessed on November 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bistumlimburg.de
  10. ↑ To the genesis
  11. ↑ Creating sound spaces for sacred music of our day. In: Die Tagespost , October 15, 2015, p. 10 Culture.