Corinthios I 13
1 Si linguis hominum loquar, et Angelorum, charitatem autem non habeam, factus sum velut æs sonans, aut cymbalum tinniens.
Though I speak in the “tongues” of people, or even of angels, yet have not love, I have become mere echoing brass, or a clanging cymbal!
2 Et si habuero prophetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia, et omnem scientiam: et si habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, charitatem autem non habuero, nihil sum.
Even though I have the gift of preaching, and fathom all hidden truths and all the depths of knowledge; even though I have such faith as might move mountains, yet have not love, I am nothing!
3 Et si distribuero in cibos pauperum omnes facultates meas, et si tradidero corpus meum ita ut ardeam, charitatem autem non habuero, nihil mihi prodest.
Even though I dole my substance to the poor, even though I sacrifice my body in order to boast, yet have not love, it avails me nothing!
4 Charitas patiens est, benigna est. Charitas non æmulatur, non agit perperam, non inflatur,
Love is long-suffering, and kind; love is never envious, never boastful, never conceited, never behaves unbecomingly;
5 non est ambitiosa, non quærit quæ sua sunt, non irritatur, non cogitat malum,
love is never self-seeking, never provoked, never reckons up her wrongs;
6 non gaudet super iniquitate, congaudet autem veritati:
love never rejoices at evil, but rejoices in the triumph of truth;
7 omnia suffert, omnia credit, omnia sperat, omnia sustinet.
love bears with all things, ever trustful, ever hopeful, ever patient.
8 Charitas numquam excidit: sive prophetiæ evacuabuntur, sive linguæ cessabunt, sive scientia destruetur.
Love never fails. But, whether it be the gift of preaching, it will end; whether it be the gift of “tongues,” it will cease; whether it be knowledge, it, too, will vanish.
9 Ex parte enim cognoscimus, et ex parte prophetamus.
For our knowledge is incomplete, and our preaching is incomplete,
10 Cum autem venerit quod perfectum est, evacuabitur quod ex parte est.
but, when the perfect has come, that which is incomplete will end.
11 Cum essem parvulus, loquebar ut parvulus, sapiebam ut parvulus, cogitabam ut parvulus. Quando autem factus sum vir, evacuavi quæ erant parvuli.
When I was a child, I talked as a child, I felt as a child, I reasoned as a child; now that I am a man, I have done with childish ways.
12 Videmus nunc per speculum in ænigmate: tunc autem facie ad faciem. Nunc cognosco ex parte: tunc autem cognoscam sicut et cognitus sum.
As yet we see, in a mirror, dimly, but then – face to face! As yet my knowledge is incomplete, but then I will know in full, as I have been fully known.
13 Nunc autem manent, fides, spes, charitas: tria hæc. Maior autem horum est charitas.
Meanwhile faith, hope, and love endure – these three, but the greatest of these is love.
