De Profundis in Latin

When thinking about a new prayer to pray during Lent, the beautiful Psalm 129, or De Profundis, comes to mind. As an extra act of devotion, you may like to pray the De Profundis in Latin.

The psalm begins with the words, de profundis, (out of the depths) and is one of the seven penitential psalms. These psalms have always been prayed during Lent, and in fact, Pope Innocent III made a decree to that effect in the 13th century.

De Profundis in Latin
De Profundis in English
How and when this psalm is prayed
Commentary by St. Robert Bellarmine
De Profundis in Latin Pronunciation video
Another Latin prayer for Lent

De Profúndis in Latin

De profúndis clamávi ad te, Dómine:
Dómine exáudi vocem meam.

Fiant aures tuae intendéntes: in vocem deprecatiónis meae.

Si iniquitátes observáveris, Dómine: Dómine quis sustinébit?

Quia apud te propitiátio est: propter legem tuam sustínui te, Dómine.

Sustínuit ánima mea in verbum ejus.
Sperávit ánima mea in Dómino.

A custodia matutína usque ad noctem: speret Israel in Dómino.

Quia apud Dóminum misericórdia: et copiósa apud eum redémptio.

Et ipse rédimet Israel ex ómnibus iniquitátibus ejus. Amen.

De Profúndis in English

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice.

Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

If Thou, O Lord, shalt mark iniquities; Lord, who shall endure it?

For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness; and by reason of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord.

My soul hath relied on His word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.

From the morning watch even unto night, let Israel hope in the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him plentiful redemption.
And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

How and When to recite the De Profundis in Latin

The seven penitential psalms are traditionally alternated with antiphons and the Gloria. (To download a pdf of the penitential psalms in English with the other prayers, go to Fish Eaters here.)

De Profundis is an integral part of the liturgical life of the Church: it is prayed or sung during Vespers and as part of the Office of the Dead, and is sung on Septuagesima Sunday; if you pray the office in Latin, then or attend a traditional parish, then you will already be familiar with the Latin version of this psalm.

The seven penitential psalms are meant to be prayed kneeling, and this is a pious practice for any prayer during Lent.

This prayer is so revered by the Church that a partial indulgence is granted every time it is recited. That Catholic Dictionary tells us that “in some countries this Psalm is recited to the ringing of the bell about 9 P.M., and in Ireland it was regularly said at Mass after the Last Gospel for the victims of former religious persecutions.”

St. Robert Bellarmine on Psalm 129

As well as learning to pray the De Profundis in Latin, it is helpful to study this psalm to get even more out of our prayer. St. Robert Bellarmine wrote a long commentary on each of the Psalms, and here is his reflection on the first two verses of De Profundis.

The prophet being about to pray to God, first demands an audience, and then explains what he wants. He begins by comparing himself to one in a low valley, or a very deep well, who, unless he calls with a very loud voice, cannot be heard by one who is on a very high mountain, and thus, in fact, matters stand with us. For though God, by reason of his essence and power, be everywhere, still the sinner, by reason of his dissimilitude to God, is removed very far from God.

God is always just and happy, and “dwelleth on high.” The sinner is always bad and miserable, and like Jonas the prophet, who, for his disobedience to God, was thrown not only into the depths of the sea, but even into the depths of the belly of the whale; and, nevertheless, when be cried from thence he was heard, for a fervent prayer breaks through and penetrates everything.

David then says, “From the depths,” not from the depth, because a true penitent has need to cry from two depths, the depth of misery and the depth of his heart; from the former, as if from the valley of tears, or as another Psalm expresses it, “Out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs,” and from the latter, the depth of his heart; that is, from a thorough consideration and deep reflection on his own misery; for he that is not aware of, and that does not reflect on the depth in which he lies, has no wish to rise out of it, and, therefore, despises it, and thus sinks deeper again, as the Proverbs say, “The wicked man when he is come into the depth of sins contemneth.”

But whoever will, on profound reflection, feel that he is an exile, a pilgrim, and in great danger of never arriving at his country; and what is infinitely worse, that though he is not just now in the lowest depths of hell, he deserves to be there by reason of his sins, it is impossible for such a one not to be thoroughly frightened and horrified, or to avoid calling out with all his might to him who alone can rescue him from such a dreadful depth, and extend a hand to him to get up. “Lord, hear my prayer.” However deep I may be, and however high you may be, as I cry with a very fond voice, you can hear me, and therefore, I beg of you to “hear my voice.”—”Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.”

However loud one may cry, he will not be heard, unless the person to whom he cries attend to him. People are often so absorbed in other matters, that they pay no heed to one talking to them, and then one talks to them in vain.

Now, God always sees and hears everything, but when he does not grant what we ask, he is like one that does not attend to us, as if he were thinking of something else, and, therefore, David, being most anxious for a hearing, and not content with having called out with a loud voice, asks, furthermore, that God may deign to attend to him; that is, to receive his prayer, and grant what it asked.