Hymn #25: Canticle of the Sun
Created | Updated Nov 25, 2016
Singing to Brother Sun

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
- The most popular Protestant version is All Creatures of Our God and King, which is rather grand. Fun to sing, too.
- Here's a more solemn-sounding version of the original Italian, set by William Walton.
- Here's Liszt's version. Doesn't evoke anything for me other than 'I've got really big hands, hear me roar.' In which case, I'd rather watch Hyung-Ki Joo take off Rachmaninov.
- My personal favourites: the settings used in Zeffirelli's 1972 Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Here's the Italian version. Here's Donovan's English version.
When (if) you see the sun or moon, say, 'Hi, brother and sister.' And thank Francis for the thought.