Hymn #25: Canticle of the Sun

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Singing to Brother Sun

St Francis teaches the birds to sing his song.'

Remember how I said that animists and other more ancient religions sang hymns to nature? Well, Christians do, too. At least, one very famous one did: Francis of Assisi. Francis wrote a very influential hymn called 'The Canticle of the Sun', or 'The Canticle of the Creatures'. He composed most of it in 1224, but the story goes that he didn't finish it until he was dying. The complete version was said to have been sung around Francis' deathbed. The hymn is considered the first work of Italian literature (as opposed to funny Latin).

Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra. . .

In Francis' hymn, everything in nature is brother or sister to humans. It's a song that praises the Creator who made everything, and the consanguinity of humankind with everything made. It's cool. Of course, few people sing Umbrian. So there are a lot of different versions.

Singing (and Playing) Francis' Hymn

When (if) you see the sun or moon, say, 'Hi, brother and sister.' And thank Francis for the thought.

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