St. Francis of Assisi was known to just shout out praises to the Lord as he walked the fields, traveled to and fro and worked in building the San Damiano church. The Canticle of the Sun became one of the more popular of these spontaneous recitals.
The Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi
“Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, to thee,
All glory, honor, praise, and blessing be.
Thou only art deserving of the same;
No man is worthy to pronounce thy name.
Praised be my God for creatures, every one;
And praised be thou, my Lord, for Brother Sun,
Thy gift to us that he our day may light.
Most beautiful is he, and passing bright;
Radiant in splendor – for in him we see
Displayed to us a glorious type of thee.
Praise to my Lord for Sister Moon be given,
For all the clear and lovely stars of heaven.
Praised be my Lord for Brother Wind and Air;
For clouds, and weather – be it dark or fair;
For by their ministry thou e’er dost give
The sustenance whereby all creatures live.
Praise to my Lord for Sister Water be;
Most useful, humble, precious, chaste is she.
Praised be my Lord for Brother Fire, so bright,
By whom thou dost illuminate the night;
For he is lively, and most beautiful,
And most robust withal, and powerful.
Praised be my Lord and God for Mother Earth,
Who governs and sustains us; who gives birth
To all the many fruits and herbs that be,
And colored flowers in rich variety.
Praised be my Lord for those who pardon wrong
For love of thee, enduring sorrow long,
Bearing their woes in peace – blessed are they!
By the Most High they shall be crowned one day.
Praised be my Lord for Sister Death, from whom
No living soul escapes. She brings the doom
Of endless woe to all who pass away
In guilt of mortal sin. But blessed they
Who die in doing thy most holy will.
To them the second death can bring no ill.
O praise and bless my Lord right thankfully,
And serve ye him with great humility.”
The Canticle of the Sun – St. Francis of Assisi
Legends about St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun
Some legends state that St. Francis of Assisi didn’t only recite this during life, but as he was nearing his own death in the bed of the church. And as he was reciting the Canticle of the Sun on his death bed, he stopped himself and begged to be returned to his rock that he had slept upon most of his life. He said that he felt complete disgust at being surrounded in such opulence and wished to die as he had lived, with his beloved Lady Poverty on his beloved ground looking up towards his beloved Sun for which had sung this canticle so many times with his brothers before as they walked through the fields and the flowers.
St. Francis of Assisi was a man of profound simplicity and poverty. Having come from great wealth, he had learned throughout his short life that everything that God created around him was beautiful. And he praised every part of creation in his canticles. The Canticle of the Sun is second only in popularity to the Canticle of the Creatures. St. Francis of Assisi died as he had lived, in poverty and in simplicity and still praising God and His creation until his last breath.
Sources: Saint Francis – A Film by Michele Soavi, Francis of Assisi Complete Writings in Three Volumes, The Saint, The Founder, The Prophet – Compiled by Regis Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., J. A. Wayne Hellmann, O.F.M. Conv., William J. Short, O.F.M., The Little Flowers of St. Francis – By Raphael Brown, Saint Francis of Assisi – By Thomas of Celano, God’s Fool: The Life and Times of St. Francis of Assisi, By Julien Green, Clare of Assisi, The Lady – Translation by Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, Tranlsation by Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., and Ignatius C. Brady, O.F.M., Clare of Assisi: Her Spirituality Revealed in her Letters – By Claire Marie Ledoux, St. Francis of Assisi: The Best from all His Works – Edited by Stephen Rost
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