Hymns by Dun Karm Psaila


This is a list of hyms authored by Dun Karm Psaila.

Eucharistic Hymn (''T’Adoriam Ostia Divina'')

Among the many religious hymns written by Dun Karm, one that became popular even abroad was "T'adoriam ostia divina" or "Nadurawk ja Ħobż tas-Sema". When the International Eucharistic Congress was held in Malta in 1913, Maestro Joseph Caruana asked Dun Karm to write a hymn for the occasion. Many of the bishops present at the Congress loved the hymn, took it with them to their respective dioceses and had it translated. It has since become popular in many languages, for example, in English with the title "Host Divine, we bow in Worship" and in Spanish "Te adoramos, Hostia Divina". Dun Karm himself provided a Maltese version in 1924.
T'adoriam ostia divinaNadurawk ja Ħobż tas-SemaHost Divine, we bow in Worship
Italian Original Maltese Translation English Translation
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.
Tu dell'angelo il sospiro,
tu dell'uomo sei l'onor.
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.		Nadurawk ja Ħobż tas-Sema
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.
Għalik l-anġli dlonk titniehed,
Inti l-hena tal-bnedmin.
Nadurawk ja Ħobż tas-Sema
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.		Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise,
Thou desire of all the angels
Glory of our humble ways.
Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise.
Tu dei forti la dolcezza,
tu dei deboli il vigor,
tu salute dei viventi,
tu speranza di chi muor.
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.		Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.
Int is-saħħa tal-qawwija,
Int il-faraġ tad-dgħajfin.
Nadurawk ja Ħobż tas-Sema
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.		Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise,
To the strong Thou givest meekness
And the weak to strength dost raise.
Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise.
Tu dei forti la dolcezza,
tu dei deboli il vigor,
tu salute dei viventi,
tu speranza di chi muor.
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.		Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.
Inti l-qawma ta’ min raqad,
Inti l-għaxja tal-ħajjin.
Nadurawk ja Ħobż tas-Sema
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.		Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise,
Thou salvation of the living
Hope of those whom death dismays.
Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise.
Ti conosca il mondo e t'ami,
tu la gioia d'ogni cuor;
ave, o Dio nascosto e grande,
tu dei secoli il Signor.
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.		Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin;
Jalla d-dinja tagħraf tħobbok,
Fik il-qlub huma henjin.
Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.		Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise,
May thy children know and love Thee,
For the world thy love displays.
Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise.
Ti conosca il mondo e t'ami,
tu la gioia d'ogni cuor;
ave, o Dio nascosto e grande,
tu dei secoli il Signor.
T'adoriam, Ostia divina,
t'adoriam, Ostia d'amor.		Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin,
Insellmulek, Alla moħbi,
Inti biss taħkem is-snin.
Nadurawk, ja Ħobż tas-sema,
Frott l-imħabba l-iżjed bnin.		Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise,
Hail, o God of hidden splendour
Lord of time through endless days.
Host Divine, we bow in worship,
Host Divine, we sing thy praise.

Maltese National Anthem (L-Innu Malti)

In 1922, Professor Mro. Robert Samut composed a short melody, which was obtained a year later by Dr A.V. Laferla, Director of Primary Schools in Malta, who wanted to have an anthem composed which could be sung by students in Malta's schools as an expression of their Maltese identity. Laferla asked Dun Karm to write lyrics to fit the melody, which then became the Maltese National Anthem.

Morning and Evening Hymns

These hymns are frequently used in many parishes during morning and evening masses, and are used for solemnities in the Maltese translation of the Liturgy of the Hours.
L-Innu ta' FilgħoduA Hymn for the Morning
Maltese OriginalEnglish Translation
Reġa’ sebaħ, ja Mulejja,
Agħti tiegħek dan il-jum:
Lejk nittajjar bil-ħsieb tiegħi
Kull filgħodu malli nqum.
Fix-xemx jiddi l-ġmiel ta’ wiċċek,
Inti ssebbaħ il-ħolqien;
Isellmulek l-art u s-sema
Kull filgħodu bl-ogħla lsien.
' Ja Mulejja niżżik ħajr,
Għaliex int tal-ħajja s-Sid:
Fik is-setgħa, fik il-ħniena,
Int fawwara ta’ kull ġid.		Dawn again, my Lord, has broken,
May your day be but a gift,
Every morn I soar to meet you
When my thoughts to you I lift.
In the sun your face is beaming
All creation you array,
Heav'n and earth come out to greet you
With their sweetest voice, each day.
' You're the Master of all life,
So I'm grateful to you, Lord.
Full of power, full of mercy,
You are goodness, gushing forth.
F’dan il-lejl li għadda fuqi
Int ħaristni, Alla ħanin;
Int wennistni minn kull biżgħa,
Warrabt minni l-ħolm ħażin.
Bħal missier f’telfa ta’ mħabba
It-taħbit ta’ qalbi smajt;
Xħitt is-saħħa ġewwa sidri
Ma’ kull nifs li jiena tajt.
//R.		You've watched over me, O God, all
Through the night which passed my way,
You have shielded me from horrors,
You have pushed bad dreams away.
As a father crazed with love, you
Heard the beatings of my heart:
You've thrust power in my bosom
Every time a breath would start.
//R.
F’dan il-jum tħallix, Mulejja,
Li jitnissel f’qalbi d-dnub;
Inti taf li l-għadu tagħna
Għandu x-xbiek dejjem minsub.
Tini l-Omm tal-Iben tiegħek
Biex tħarisni mit-tiġrib,
U tgħallimni b’imħabbitha
Kif inħaddan is-salib.
//R.		Let no evil sprout within me,
I beseech you, Lord, this day,
You know well how ill ensnares us
Setting traps along the way.
Give me your Son's mother, Mary,
So to keep me from the test,
By her love she'll also teach me
To embrace the cross, as crest.
//R.

A Marian Hymn (Fil-Ħlewwa ta' Mejju)

Innu lill-Madonna A Marian Hymn
Maltese OriginalEnglish Translation '
Fil-ħlewwa ta’ Mejju, Omm tagħna Marija
O kemm idoqq ħlejju dak ismek sabiħ
Kemm toħroġ qawwija dil-kelma minn qalbna
Bit-tama li talbna jagħtik l-akbar ġieħ.
Int l-għaxqa tas-sema, ix-xemx tal-ħolqien
Int l-omm ta’ min ħalqek, bik mimli kull żmien.		In May, mother Mary, a month so delightful,
Your name gently rises, its beauty rings out,
The word ushers forth from our hearts, beating strongly:
We hope so to laud you, a pray'r on our mouth.
Delight of the heavens, creation's bright star,
You fill every age, for God's mother you are.
Jekk tiftaħ fil-ġonna il-warda Maltija,
Tfakkarna o Madonna fil-lewn ta’ ħaddejk!
Jekk tidħak id-dija tal-kwiekeb irżina,
Tfakkarna o ħanina fid-dawl ta’ għajnejk!
//R.		The rose, when it blossoms, perfuming our gardens,
Evokes for us, Lady, the hew of your cheeks!
Your eyes come to mind when the stars' glow and flicker,
So pure yet so mirthful, your kind radiance leaks!
//R.
Minn dejjem bint Alla, nadifa mill-ħtija
Infrixt bħal qawsalla fuq ras il-bnedmin.
Int ftaħt o Marija l-għejun ta’ kull ħniena
Fuq l-aħwa ħosbiena, fuq l-aħwa ħatjin.
//R.		Preserved at the outset, God's daughter and sinless,
Unfurled as a rainbow on all humankind,
You've opened, o Mary, the wellsprings of mercy
For our troubled brethren, those guilty and blind.
//R.
Għalhekk ja sultana tal-ħlewwa Marija
Int biss tama tagħna, int qawwa tar-ruħ.
Bil-grazzja mimlija, kull waqt insellmulek,
Bil-ħrara ngħajtulek fis-siegħa tad-dmugħ.
//R.		That's why, dearest Mary, our Queen sweet and tender,
You sate us with hope and you shore up our soul.
We greet you, and greet you, O grace-filled; when shattered
We cry our hearts out to you: come and console.
//R.'''

Hymn to the Sacred Heart (Tina l-Ħlewwa)

Innu lill-Qalb ta' Ġesù Hymn to the Sacred Heart
Maltese OriginalEnglish Translation
Tina l-ħlewwa tal-ilsna tas-sema
Biex il-ġieħ li jixraqlek nagħtuk,
Qalb ħanina li tagħder li taħfer,
Kif ħabbejtna nixtiequ nħobbuk.
Qalb imqaddsa ta' Ġesù
Li berikt lit-tfal ċkejknin
Kebbes fina n-nar ta' mħabbtek
Żommna miegħek imħaddnin.		Make us apt, like the sweet tongues of heaven,
To deliver the praise you deserve,
Heart of mercy, condoling, forgiving,
As we're loved, may we love, may we serve.
Sacred heart of Jesus, who
blessed the children, bless us too.
With your love set us ablaze, and
Keep us all in your embrace.
Biex tifdina mill-jasar ewlieni,
ta' Missierek l-għamara ħallejt
Int li tgħaxxaq is-sema bi ġmielek,
ta' suritna fil-faqar inħbejt.
//R.		To redeem us from primordial slav'ry
You took off from your Father's abode,
You whose beauty enraptures the heavens,
in the want of our form, hid your lode.
//R.
L-aħħar qatra ta' demmek tajthielna,
Meta b'daqqa ta' lanza nifduk,
Int għallimtna tan-niket il-hena,
Int għallimtna fil-hemm inberkuk.
//R.		When the lance pierced your heart, and you gave us
The last drop of your blood as a boon,
There you fed us with sorrows' contentment,
There you taught us to bless you in doom.
//R.