St Thomas Aquinas’ Prayer Before Study — Creator ineffabilis

Creator ineffabilis,
qui de thesauris sapientiae tuae
tres Angelorum hierarchias designasti,
et eas super caelum empyreum miro ordine collocasti,
atque universi partes elegantissime distribuisti:

Ineffable Creator,
who from the treasures of thy wisdom
hast appointed three hierarchies of Angels,
and hast set them in wondrous order above the highest heaven,
and hast most beautifully arranged the parts of the universe:

Tu, inquam, qui verus fons luminis et sapientiae diceris,
ac supereminens principium,
infundere digneris super intellectus mei tenebras
tuae radium claritatis,
duplices, in quibus natus sum, a me removens tenebras,
peccatum scilicet et ignorantiam.

thou, I say, who art called the true fount of light and wisdom
and the supreme first principle,
vouchsafe to pour upon the darkness of my understanding
a ray of thy brightness,
taking from me the twofold darkness in which I was born,
that is, sin and ignorance.

Tu, qui linguas infantium facis disertas,
linguam meam erudias,
atque in labiis meis gratiam tuae benedictionis infundas.

Thou who makest eloquent the tongues of little children,
instruct my tongue,
and pour upon my lips the grace of thy blessing.

Da mihi intelligendi acumen,
retinendi capacitatem,
addiscendi modum et facilitatem,
interpretandi subtilitatem,
loquendi gratiam copiosam.

Give me sharpness to understand,
capacity to retain,
method and ease in learning,
subtlety in interpreting,
and abundant grace in speaking.

Ingressum instruas,
progressum dirigas,
egressum compleas.
Tu, qui es verus Deus et homo,
qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Instruct the beginning,
direct the progress,
perfect the end:
thou who art true God and man,
who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.