The Precatio Terrae of Antonius Musa

The Precatio Terrae of Antonius Musa
by: M. Horatius Piscinus

Holy Goddess, Tellus, Mother of all Nature, engendering all things and regenerating them each day, as You alone bring forth from Your womb all things into life.

Heavenly Goddess, overseeing all things on earth and throughout the seas, in whatever by silent nature is restored in sleep and in death, in the same way that You put to flight the Night with the Light You restore each day:

Earth, Enricher of Life, You dispel the dark shadow of death and the disorder of vast endless Chaos. You hold back the winds and storms, the rain showers and tempests. You alone regulate the weather cycles, either bestirring or putting to flight the storm, interspersing them with cheerful days.

You give the Food of Life unfailingly, in fidelity, and when the soul by necessity departs, in You alone do we find refuge. Thus, whatever You give, in You all will be returned. Deservedly are You called Great Mother of the Gods. Piously then are all the celestial powers distilled in You. The One and True parent of all living things, human and divine. Without You nothing could be born, nothing could grow, and nothing mature;

You are the Great Goddess, the Queen of Heaven, You, Goddess, I adore. I call upon Your power, come. Make what I ask to be readily and easily accomplished, and draw my thanks, Mother Earth, that, in fidelity, You do rightly merit.

Hear me, please, and favor me. This I ask of You, Holy Mother, and may You willingly give answer to me: May whatever herbs grow by Your providence bring health to all humankind. May You now send these forth to me as Your medicines. May they be filled with Your healing virtues. May everything that I prepare from these herbs have good result, each and every one in the same way. As I shall receive these herbs from You, so too shall I willingly give them out to others, so that their health too may be ensured through Your good graces. Finally, Mother Earth, ensure Your healing powers for me as well. This I humbly ask.

(Original Text: http://thelatinlibrary.com/prec.terr.html )

Dea sancta Tellus, rerum naturae parens,
quae cuncta generas et regeneras in didiem,
quod sola praestas gentibus vitalia,
coeli ac maris diva arbitra rerumque omnium,
per quam silet natura et somnos concipit,
itemque lucem reparas et noctem fugas:

tu Ditis umbras tegis et immensum chaos
ventosque et imbres tempestatesque attines
et, cum libet, dimittis et misces freta
fugasque soles et procellas concitas,
itemque, cum vis, hilarem promittis diem.

Tu alimenta vitae tribuis perpetua fide,
et, cum necesserit anima, in tete refugimus:
ita, quicquid tribuis, in te cuncta recidunt.
Merito vocaris Magna tu Mater Deum,
pietate quia vicisti divom numina;
tuque illa vera es gentium et divom parens,
sine qua nil maturatur nec nasci potest;

tu es Magna tuque divom regina es, dea.
Te, diva, adoro tuumque ego numen invoco,
facilisque praestes hoc mihi quod te rogo;
referamque grates, diva, tibi merita fide.

Exaudi me, quaeso, et fave coeptis meis;
hoc quod peto a te, diva, mihi praesta volens.
Herbas, quascumque generat maiestas tua,
salutis causa tribuis cunctis gentibus:
hanc nunc mihi permittas medicinam tuam.
Veniat medicina cum tuis virtutibus:
quidque ex his fecero, habeat eventum bonum,
cuique easdem dedero quique easdem a me acceperint,
sanos eos praestes. Denique nunc, diva, hoc mihi
maiestas praestes tua, quod te supplex rogo.