The Sanctus: Sabaoth and Hosanna

The Sanctus

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Hosanna in excelsis.

It joins two biblical texts and adapts both:

The liturgy says Sabaoth where the Vulgate of Isaiah has exercituum, adds caeli, and turns his glory into your glory, gloria tua, so that the hymn speaks to God.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua runs on the rule of the Ave Maria: plenus takes the ablative of what fills it.

• Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. - Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
• Ave Maria, gratia plena. - Hail Mary, full of grace.

Pleni is masculine plural, agreeing with caeli, the nearer of its two subjects. Benedictus qui venit is blessed is he who comes: venit is present here.

Hebrew kept whole

Both came into Latin through Greek and were never translated. Sabaoth stands where a genitive would be (of hosts) but has no ending at all: it cannot be declined. Hosanna began as a plea and had become a shout of praise by the time of the Gospels.

Saying it

At mass, sing in Church Latin; this course's audio speaks classical. The pronunciation lesson has every rule.