Is there a copyright-free English translation of the Prayer to St. Michael?

[normdplume]

Can someone please point me to an English translation of the the Prayer to St. Michael that is in the public domain? I’ve read numerous translations online, and they all differ in small ways in their wording, leaving me to wonder which version I can freely use in a work of fiction. Initially, I considered tweaking the wording to come up with my own version, but I eventually concluded that that’s a bad idea. I’d prefer a real translation approved by the Church that isn’t copyrighted. I’m dealing with a similar issue around Bible quotes, since the most common modern translations of the Bible into English are copyrighted, albeit usually with the permission to quote a certain number of verses (e.g., 500), as long as they are exact quotes. I intend to quote the prayer in its entirety, but from a legitimate source.

Thanks.
Norm

 

[TheresaFinigan]

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits wandering now throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

 

[ProVobis]

As far as I know there are no official translations. Some use ‘“protect” instead of “defend”, “thrust” instead of “cast” and so forth. It is not wrong to use any of them, but I wouldn’t try to make profits off of them.

 

[Maximilian75]

some translate ‘praesidium’ as ‘safeguard’, others as ‘defense’…

 

[normdplume]

Theresa, what’s the source of that version of the translation?

Thanks

 

[TheresaFinigan]

I’m sorry I can’t give a source. That’s the prayer I knew growing up and have always prayed.

 

[normdplume]

Thank you.

 

[midori]

Have you read about the history of the St. Michael prayer?

It’s a relatively modern composition. The article talks about different forms. (Here are some St. Michael prayers that were in the 1817 Raccolta…) The Leonine Prayers were generally used after Mass from 1886-1964/65.

But the one we all memorized was quoted in James Joyce’s “Ulysses” (published 1922).

So— if you want to quote it, go ahead and find the version James Joyce used. (Stuff published prior to 1923 entered the American public domain in 1998?) I think he used “be our safeguard” rather than “be our defense”, but it’s ultimately all a translation nuance sort of thing. So, technically, you could even do your own translation from the Latin…

Omnes: Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis, satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.