List of Latin Phrases in A Canticle for Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller, Jr. was a Roman Catholic, and Catholicism -- especially pre-Vatican II Catholicism -- infuses A Canticle For Leibowitz.

Fiat Homo

Chapter	Latin	English	Comments
1	Apage Satanas!	Away, Satan!
1	ex opere operato	from the work having been worked	i.e. from Brother Francis' point of view, it seemed to work.
1	Et ne nos inducas in...	And lead us not into...	From the Lord's Prayer (pater noster)
1	Libellus Leibowitz	The Little Book of Leibowitz
1	Repugnans tibi, ausus sum quaerere quidquid doctius mihi fide, certius spe, aut dulcius caritate visum esset. Quis itaque stultior me...	Turning from you, I dared to seek something that seemed to me to be more intellectual than faith, more certain than hope, and sweeter than love. Who is more foolish than me...[?]	Attributed to St. Augustine
1	O inscrutabilis Scrutator animarum, cui patet omne cor, si me vocaveras, olim a te fugeram. Si autem nunc velis vocare me indignum...	You inscrutable Examiner of souls, to whom every heart is open: once, if you had called me, I would have fled. But if you wish to call me again, even though I am unworthy...	Continuation of the above Augustinian prayer
2	A spiritu fornicationis, Domine, libera nos.	From the spirit of fornication, O Lord, deliver us.	Fornication is often used a symbol for idolotry
2	A morte perpetua, Domine, libera nos.	From perpetual death, O Lord, deliver us.
2	Peccatores, te rogamus, audi nos.	We sinners beseech thee, hear us
2	Te rogamus, audi nos.	We beseech thee, hear us
2	ipso facto	by that very fact
2	mihi amicus	a friend to me
2	machina analytica	analytical machine	i.e. a computer (the “charms” are resistors)
2	Beate Leibowitz, ora pro me!	Blessed Leibowitz, pray for me!
2	Sancte Leibowitz, ora pro me!	Saint Leibowitz, pray for me!
2	Ut solius tuae voluntatis mihi cupidus sim, et vocationis tuae conscius, si digneris me vocare ...	Would that I desire only thy will for me, and know thy call, if thou shouldst deign to call me
2	Promotor Fidei	Promotor of the Faith	Synonymous with "Devil's Advocate" (see below, Ch. 7), this lawyer had the responsibility of arguing against the sainthood of a given candidate for canonization.
2	Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae	The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary	The opening line of the Angelus.
4	Benedicamus Domino	Let us bless the Lord
4	Deo? gratias?	Thanks? be to God?
4	Magister meus	my teacher
4	Deo gratias!	Thanks be to God!
5	Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem...	I give you a new command: that you love one another	from John 13:34 in the Vulgate
7	Ecce Inquisitor Curiae. Ausculta et obsequere. Arkos, AOL, Abbas.	This is the Court's Inquisitor. Hear him and obey him. Arkos, Abbot of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz.	As Francis notes a few lines later, Arkos probably meant "Investigator", not "Inquisitor".
7	advocatus diaboli	Devil's Advocate	The Church's canonization process involves a Devil's Advocate (formally called the Promoter of the Faith) and a Postulator of the Cause. The latter argues for the candidate's canonization, while the former argues against it, apparently much as a prosecutor and defense attorney do today.
7	Ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum...	Behold how good, and how pleasant...	from Psalm 132(133). The psalm continues, "... for brothers to live in unity."
7	Glorificemus	Let us glorify (i.e. God)
7	Miserere mei, Deus	Have mercy on me, God
10	Sacerdos magnus	Chief priest	A poetic title for a bishop. The hymn Ecce sacerdos magnus is chanted during the ordination of a Bishop.
10	Dei imago	image of God	i.e. a soul
11	sampetrius		Evidently a post-Deluge Church office (from context, they seem to be servants of the Pope) whose name is derived from Saint Peter. The (plausible) Latinate plural given in the text is sampetrii. It is a Latinization of the Italian "sampietrino", the term for the laborers who are, in the contemporary Church, responsible for the maintenance of St. Peter's Basilica.
11	Terribilis est locus iste, hic domus Dei est, et porta caeli;	This place is terrifying, the house of God is here, and the gate of heaven;	from Gen 28:17.
11	Appropinquat agnis pastor et ovibus pascendis	The shepherd approaches to feed the sheep and lambs
11	Genua nunc flectantur omnia	Let every knee be bent now
11	Jussit olim Jesus Petrum pascere gregem Domini	Jesus once bid Peter to feed the Lord's flock
11	Ecce Petrus Pontifex Maximus	Behold Peter, the High Bishop	Saint Peter was the first Pope; Popes are often identified with him.
11	Gaudeat igitur populus Christi, et gratias agat Domino	Let Christ's people rejoice, and give thanks to God
11	Nam docebimur a Spiritu sancto	For we will be taught by the Holy Spirit
11	Sancte pater, ab Sapentia summa petimus ut ille Beatus Leibowitz cujus miracula mirati sunt multi...	Holy father, we ask from highest Wisdom that Blessed Leibowitz at whose miracles many have wondered...	Part of the requirements for canonization include a minimum number of witnessed, verified miracles.
11	Gratissima Nobis causa, fili	The cause is most pleasing to us, son
11	sub ducatu sancti Spiritus	under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
11	miserere nobis	have mercy on us
11	Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis	Holy Mother of God, pray for us
11	Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis	Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us
11	Omnes sancti Martyres, ora pro nobis	All you holy Martyrs, pray for us
11	Veni Creator Spiritus	Come, Creator Spirit
11	Surgat ergo Petrus ipse	Let Peter himself arise
11	licet adire	let him approach
11	scala caelestis	heavenly stair
11	Te Deum	You God, [we praise]	A set part of the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. The Te Deum is a hymn of praise.
11	Noli molestare	let no one bother him	A letter of safe passage

Fiat Lux

Chapter	Latin	English	Comments
13	Domne	Lord	A contraction of Domine. The contraction is used when addressing human lords, as opposed to the Lord God.
13	Sub immunitate apostolica hoc suppositum est. Quisquis nuntium molestare audeat, ipso facto excommunicetur.	This has been placed under apostolic immunity. Let anyone who may dare to bother the nuncio be automatically excommunicated.
13	Accedite ad eum	Come ye to him [... and be enlightened]	From Psalm 33(34):6
13	Quidam mihi calix nuper expletur, Paule. Precamini ergo Deum facere me fortiorem. Metuo ut hic pereat. Spero te et fratres saepius oraturos esse pro tremescente Marco Apolline. Valete in Christo, amici.	Indeed the cup has recently been filled up for me, Paul. May you all therefor pray that God make me stronger. I fear he may perish. I hope that thou and the brothers would often pray for the growing fear of Marcus Apollo. Farewell in Christ, my friends.	The cup he mentions is an allusion to the cup mentioned by Christ in the garden of Gesthemene
13	Texarkanae datum est Octava Ss Petri et Pauli, Anno Domini termillesimo...	Given in Texarkana on the Octave of Saints Peter and Paul, in the year of the Lord three thousand ...	The Octave of Saints Peter and Paul is the 6th of July
13	vespero mundi expectando	the evening of the world is to be expected
14	De Vestigiis Antecessarum Civitatum	Concerning the Footprints of Earlier Cities
14	Cave canem	Beware of the dog
14	Vexilla regis	Flags of the King	First line from a hymn
14	Sancta Maisie, interride pro me	Saint Maisie, inter-laugh for me	Interride is a pun on "intercede"
14	Ergo sum	Therefore I am	From Descartes, cogito ergo sum, "I think therefore I am"
14	Stultus Maximus	the Greatest Fool
14	Haec commixtio ...	This intermixing ...	Beginning of prayer used at Mass, "May this mixture and consecration of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be made into eternal life for those of us who receive it".
16	Memento, Domine, omnium famulorum tuorum	Remember, Lord, all thy servants	A prayer from the Roman Canon of the mass
17	Tibi adsum	I am here for you
18	In principio Deus	In the beginning God ...	Genesis 1:1
18	Caelum et terram creavit	Created heaven and earth	Genesis 1
18	Vacuus erat autem mundus	But the world was empty
18	Cum tenebris in superficie profundorum	with darkness on the face of the deep
18	Ortus est Dei Spiritus super aquas	The Spirit of God rose above the waters
18	Gratias Creatori Spiritui	Thanks to the Creator Spirit
18	Dixit Deus: FIAT LUX	And God said: LET THERE BE LIGHT
18	Et lux ergo facta est	And therefore there was light
18	Lucem esse bonam Deus vidit	God saw the light was good
18	Et secrevit lucem a tenebris	And he separated the light from the darkness
18	Lucem appelavit 'diem' et tenebras 'noctes'	The light he called 'the day' and the darkness 'nights'
18	Vespere occaso	When evening had fallen
18	Lucifer! Ortus est et primo die	The Bearer of Light! He rose so on the first day
20	Flectamus genua	Let us bend our knees
20	Levate	Rise	plural imperative
20	Oremus	Let us pray	usually said as an introduction to a public prayer
20	.. et Spiritus Sancti	... and of the Holy Spirit	From the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit". Commonly said at the conclusion of a prayer.
20	Sedete	Sit	plural imperative
20	Et tu, Brute?	And thou, Brutus?	Reputed to be the last words of Julius Caesar to his friend and assassin, Brutus
21	Regnans in Excelsis	Reigning on High	a reference to God, who reigns from Heaven
21	Hic est enim calix Sanguinis Mei	For this is the cup of my Blood
22	Lege	Read	singular imperative
22	De Inanibus	Concerning the Inane
22	Ad lumina Christi	For the light of Christ
22	Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine ... Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare	Dismiss now thy servent, Lord ... For mine eyes have seen the salvation

Fiat Voluntas Tua

Chapter	Latin	English	Comments
24	Quo Peregrinatur Grex	Whither the flock travels	The title of a motu proprio of the pope allowing for bishops to travel with the population escaping the destruction of the planet

External links

Notes and annotations to Latin phrases in A Canticle for Leibowitz