The Canticle of Our Lady (Lk 1:46–55)

The Magnificat

Sung every day at Vespers

LatinEnglish

Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum,
et exsultávit spíritus meus in Deo salutári meo,
quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllæ suæ.
Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dicent omnes generatiónes,
quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericórdia eius a progénie in progénies timéntibus eum.
Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo,
dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui;
depósuit poténtes de sede,
et exaltávit húmiles;
esuriéntes implévit bonis,
et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Israel púerum suum,
recordátus misericórdiæ suæ,
sicut locútus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et sémini eius in sǽcula.

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,
because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid.
For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
because he that is mighty hath done great things to me,
and holy is his name,
and his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart;
he hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble;
he hath filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

SourceThe Canticle of Our Lady (Lk 1:46–55) · Sung every day at Vespers

The history of this prayer

The Magnificat is the canticle Our Lady sang in the house of Zechariah, when Saint Elizabeth greeted her as “the mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:46–55). Woven from echoes of the Old Testament — above all the song of Hannah (1 Sam 2:1–10) and the Psalms — it praises the God who looks upon the lowly, casts down the proud and keeps his promise to Abraham.

For some fifteen hundred years (the Rule of Saint Benedict already prescribes the Gospel canticle at Vespers) it has been the high point of the evening Office: all stand and sign themselves at the beginning, and at solemn Vespers the altar is incensed during the chant. Like the psalms, it ends with the Glory Be. The Enchiridion of Indulgences grants a partial indulgence to those who devoutly recite it.

The Latin is the Vulgate text, and the English is the Douay-Rheims. Pronunciation: “Magníficat” is stressed on “NI”; “exsultávit” sounds “ek-sool-TAH-veet”; “ancíllæ” sounds “an-CHEEL-lay”.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Magnificat in the Bible?

In the Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 1, verses 46 to 55, at the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.

When is the Magnificat prayed?

Every day at Vespers, the evening prayer of the Divine Office. Many of the faithful also pray it in thanksgiving.

More prayers: Hymns

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