Canticle of the Creatures
St. Francis of Assisi
From the Antiqua Legend of St. Francis: "Returning from La Verna (with the stigmata of the Lord impressed on his body), exhausted by weakness, Francis stopped at the monastery of S. Damiano, where Clare and her sisters lived. For fifty days and more he was unable to bear the light of the sun during the day, nor the brightness of the fire during the night.
His eyes tormented him to the point of hardly letting him rest and sleep.
The Praise
Francis, with inflamed eyes and half-closed eyelids, relived in the near darkness his life now nearing its end, perceiving the bewilderment and anguish for his body reduced to ruin because consumed by toil, but on the verge of surrendering into the abyss of pain, the little poor man of Assisi let flow from his heart the cry of supplication: "O Lord, help me in my infirmities, so that I may have the strength to bear them patiently!".
It was then that Francis heard again the same enchanting voice he had heard from the crucifix of S. Damiano: Tell me, brother, if someone were to offer you as a gift, as a reward for your sufferings and tribulations, an immense and precious treasure, such as the entire earth transformed into fine gold, the pebbles into precious stones and the waters of the rivers into perfume, would you still consider, in comparison to such a treasure, the earth, the pebbles and the waters? Would you not rejoice?
Francis replied: "Lord, it would be an immense treasure, most precious, invaluable, beyond all that one can love and desire!". The Lord: "Well then, brother, rejoice and be glad in the midst of your infirmity and your tribulations: from now on live in peace, as if you were already in my Kingdom!".
His soul at that moment was invaded by joy, Francis called his companions, and recounted the dialogue he had had with his Lord, and said to them: "I wish, therefore, to compose a new praise to the Lord from his creatures".
Francis, at the completion of his life, returns in his canticle to the morning of creation, when the Creator took pleasure in his creatures.
Francis 'renders' to the Most High, almighty and good, the praise, the glory, the honor and the blessing which are not a possession or a language of man, are not values expressed by the wealth of man, whose poverty, in comparison to God, is so radical, that not even he is worthy to evoke or to have in mind God.
Love is the foundation of Francis's language; that 'something more' that fascinates us. The man of our time thirsts for this message of love, drawing life and nourishment from a general state of resentment, whose first expression is resentment towards God. Resentment towards the Creator poisons man's way of being and behaving towards creatures, towards himself and towards other men.
The Canticle of the Creatures, or Canticle of Brother Sun in the original version
Written around 1224 by Francis of Assisi, it is one of the earliest great texts of Italian literature.
Altissimu Onnipotente, bon Signore,
tue so le laude, la gloria e l'honore
et onne benedictione.
Ad te solo, altissimu se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu tè mentovare.
Laudato sie, mi Signore, cum tucte le tue creature
spetialmente messor lo frate sole,
lo quale iomo et allumini noi per loi.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore
de tè altissimo porta significatione.
Laudato sie, mi Signore, per sora luna e le stelle;
in celu l'ai formate clarite et pretiose et belle.
Laudato sie, 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 sie, mi Signore, per sora acqua,
la quale è multo utile et umile et pretiosa et casta.
Laudato sie, mi Signore, per frate focu,
per lo quale ennalumini la nocte:
et elio è bello e iucundo et robustoso et forte.
Laudato sie, mi Signore, per sora nostra matre terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa,
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti fiori et herba.
Laudato sie, mi Signore, per quelli ke perdonano
per lo tuo amore,
et sostengo infìrmitate et tribulatione.
Beati quelli kel sosterranno in pace,
ka da tè Altissimo sirano incoronati.
Laudato sie, mi Signore,
per sora nostra morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappar.
Guai a quelli ke morranno ne le peccata mortali.
Beati quelli ke trovarà ne le tue sanctissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda nol farrà male.
Laudate e benedicete, mi Signore
et rengratiate et serviteli cum grande humilitate.
Francesco d'Assisi.
Modern English version
Most High, omnipotent, good Lord,
to you belong praise, glory, honor,
and all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through the lord brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Be praised, my Lord, through the sister Moon and the stars;
in the sky you formed them bright, precious, and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through the brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, my Lord, through the sister Water,
which is very useful, humble, precious, and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, through the brother Fire,
through whom you light up the night:
he is beautiful, cheerful, robust, and strong.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and grass.
Be praised, my Lord,
through those who forgive for love of you,
and endure sickness and tribulations.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.
Be praised, my Lord,
through our sister bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are those whom death will find in your most holy will,
for the second death will do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord,
give thanks to him
and serve him with great humility.
Explanatory Notes
"To you belong praise...": Francis states that all glory belongs only to God.
"No man is worthy to mention Your name": it underlines the infinite greatness of God compared to the human being.
"Brother Sun", "Sister Moon", "Brother Wind"...: the elements of nature are called brothers and sisters because all creatures have a common origin in God and form a single family.
"Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness": the Sun is not worshipped; instead, it represents the greatness and light of God.
"Every kind of weather": both good and bad weather are considered part of the divine plan and allow life on Earth.
"Water is humble, precious and pure": water is described not only for its usefulness, but also as a model of simplicity and purity.
"Sister mother Earth": the Earth is called mother because it nourishes living beings and sister because, like man, it is a creature of God.
"Through those who forgive...": Francis exalts those who forgive others and patiently face pain and difficulties.
"Sister bodily Death": even death is welcomed as a natural part of life willed by God, not as an enemy to be hated.
"The second death": is a reference to the Christian tradition and indicates eternal damnation, that is, the definitive separation from God after the death of the body.
Commentary on the "Canticle of the Creatures"
Composed by St. Francis of Assisi, the Canticle of the Creatures represents a fundamental milestone in Italian literature and is counted among the first texts written in the vernacular. It is a prayer of praise to God, in which the poet expresses gratitude for everything that has been created.
The main theme of the text is the harmonious relationship between man, nature, and God. Francis sees creation as one big family: the Sun, the Moon, the wind, the water, the fire, and the Earth are called "brother" and "sister" because all creatures have the same origin and are linked to each other. Nature, therefore, is not something to be dominated or exploited, but a gift to be respected and cherished.
A strong message of humility also emerges in the Canticle. Man recognizes his dependence on God and understands that every good comes from Him. For this reason, the text invites us not only to praise God for the beauty of creation, but also to accept with faith the difficulties of life, such as suffering, illness, and even death. "Sister bodily death" is presented not with fear, but as a natural passage that every human being must face.
From a stylistic point of view, the language is simple and repetitive. The continuous repetition of the expression "Be praised, my Lord" creates a rhythm similar to that of a prayer or a song and reinforces the sense of devotion. Furthermore, the personification of natural elements makes the text lively and conveys the idea of a universe in which every creature participates in the praise of the Creator.
Even today, the Canticle of the Creatures retains great relevance. Respect for nature, fraternity among all living beings, peace, forgiveness, and gratitude are values that also speak to the contemporary world. For this reason, the text is not only a religious testimony, but also an invitation to live in a more responsible, supportive, and environmentally respectful way.