Augustine's Idea of God
Best to begin by hearing Augustine call on his God.
quid es ergo, deus meus?
summe, optime,
potentissime, omnipotentissime,
misericordissime et iustissime,
secretissime et praesentissime,
pulcherrime et fortissime,
stabilis et incomprehensibilis,
immutabilis mutans omnia,
numquam novus numquam vetus,
semper agens semper quietus,
conligens et non egens,
portans et implens et protegens,
creans et nutriens et perficiens,
quaerens cum nihil desit tibi.
et quid diximus, deus meus, vita mea, dulcedo mea sancta,
aut quid dicit aliquis cum de te dicit?
et vae tacentibus de te, quoniam loquaces muti sunt.[[1]]
The wordplay, the assonance, the alliteration, all disappear in translation.
What art Thou then, my God?
Most highest, most good,
most potent, most omnipotent;
most merciful and most just;
most hidden and most present;
most beautiful and most strong,
standing firm and elusive,
unchangeable and......
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Approximate Word Count: 4616
Approximate Pages: 18 (260 words per double-spaced page) |