Praise to thee, my Lord, for all thy creatures,
Above all Brother Sun
Who brings us the day and lends us his light.

These lines come from the opening of the “Canticle of the Creatures” (also called the “Canticle of Brother Sun”), a hymn attributed to Francis of Assisi and composed late in his life (c. 1224), during a period of illness and near-blindness. Written in the Umbrian vernacular rather than Latin, it is often cited as one of the earliest major works of Italian literature. The canticle reflects Francis’s distinctive spirituality: praising God through the created world and addressing elements of nature as kin (“Brother Sun,” “Sister Moon”), expressing gratitude for their gifts and their role in sustaining life.

The passage models Francis’s theology of creation as a mirror of divine goodness. Rather than praising the sun as a deity, the speaker praises God “for” the sun—creation is a reason for thanksgiving, not an object of worship. Calling the sun “Brother” frames nature in familial terms, emphasizing humility, kinship, and interdependence: humans are not masters standing apart, but members of a shared household of creatures. The sun’s daily light becomes both a literal blessing and a spiritual symbol of God’s generosity and providence, inviting a posture of wonder, gratitude, and reverent care for the world.

1) “Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom You give us light.”
2) “Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, to You belong praise, glory, honor and all blessing… Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Brother Sun…”
3) “Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him.”