← Latinum Institute Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course
Part of the Dickinson Core Vocabulary Series
Welcome to Lesson 202 of our Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course. Today we encounter the verb narrāre, a first conjugation verb meaning “to tell, to narrate, to recount.” This word appears throughout sacred scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church.
The Latin verb narrāre (principal parts: narrō, narrāre, narrāvī, narrātum) encompasses the act of telling stories, recounting events, and declaring truths. In Ecclesiastical usage, it carries profound theological significance—the heavens themselves tell (ēnarrant) the glory of God, the faithful recount the magnalia Dei (the great deeds of God), and the Church narrates the saving mysteries of Christ.
The compound form ēnarrāre (to tell forth, to declare fully) appears in the famous opening of Psalm 18 (Vulgate numbering): “Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei”—The heavens tell forth the glory of God.
Link to Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ: What does narrāre mean in Ecclesiastical Latin? Narrāre means “to tell, to narrate, to recount.” In Catholic usage, it signifies the act of proclaiming divine truths, recounting sacred history, and declaring the works of God. The related compound ēnarrāre intensifies this meaning to “tell forth completely” or “declare fully.”
Key Takeaways: -
Narrāre is a first conjugation verb (narrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum) -
The compound ēnarrāre means “to tell forth, to declare fully” -
This verb is central to Psalm 18:2: “Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei” -
In patristic usage, narrāre conveys the proclamation of divine truth -
The noun narrātiō means “a telling, a narrative, an account”
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narrāre [narˈraːre] — stress on second syllable; double rr is pronounced clearly
narrō [ˈnarroː] — first person singular present
narrāvī [narˈraːviː] — first person singular perfect
narrātum [narˈraːtum] — supine/perfect passive participle
ēnarrāre [eːnarˈraːre] — compound form meaning “to tell forth”
ēnarrant [eːˈnarrant] — third person plural present (as in “caeli ēnarrant”)
In Ecclesiastical pronunciation, the vowels are pure Italian sounds, the ae is pronounced [e], and the c before e or i is [tʃ] as in “church.”
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Format: Each Latin word appears in bold, followed immediately by its English gloss in plain text. Grammatical markers appear in CAPS.
202.1 Caelī the-heavens-NOM.PL ēnarrant tell-forth glōriam glory-ACC Deī of-God-GEN
202.2 Sacerdōs the-priest-NOM nārrat tells fīliīs to-the-children-DAT historiam the-story-ACC sacram sacred-ACC
202.3 Nōbīs to-us-DAT nārrāvit he-told-PERF mystēria the-mysteries-ACC fideī of-faith-GEN nostrae of-our-GEN
202.4 Quis who-NOM nārrat tells magnālia the-great-deeds-ACC Dominī of-the-Lord-GEN ?
202.5 Beātus blessed-NOM Augustīnus Augustine-NOM nārrābat was-telling-IMPERF vitam life-ACC suam his-own-ACC
202.6 Apostolī the-apostles-NOM nārrāvērunt told-PERF ōmnibus to-all-DAT gentibus to-the-nations-DAT Ēvangelium the-Gospel-ACC
202.7 Nārrā tell!-IMP.SG mihi to-me-DAT dē concerning amōre love-ABL Deī of-God-GEN
202.8 Scrīptūrae the-scriptures-NOM Sacrae Sacred-NOM nārrant tell nōbīs to-us-DAT dē about salūte salvation-ABL
202.9 Nōn not possum I-am-able nārrāre to-tell-INF ōmnia all-things-ACC quae which-ACC vīdī I-saw-PERF
202.10 Māter mother-NOM Ecclēsia Church-NOM nārrat tells fīliīs to-children-DAT suīs her-DAT vēritātem the-truth-ACC
202.11 Martyrēs the-martyrs-NOM nārrābant were-telling-IMPERF dē about passīōne the-suffering-ABL Christī of-Christ-GEN
202.12 Oportet it-is-fitting nōs us-ACC nārrāre to-tell-INF opera the-works-ACC Dominī of-the-Lord-GEN
202.13 Prophētae the-prophets-NOM nārrāvērunt told-PERF dē concerning adventū the-coming-ABL Messīae of-the-Messiah-GEN
202.14 Sānctī the-saints-NOM Patrēs Fathers-NOM nārrant tell nōbīs to-us-DAT fīdem the-faith-ACC rēctam right-ACC
202.15 Nārrētis may-you-tell-SUBJ.PL fīliīs to-children-DAT vestrīs your-DAT haec these-things-ACC ōmnia all-ACC
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202.1 Caelī ēnarrant glōriam Deī → “The heavens tell forth the glory of God”
202.2 Sacerdōs nārrat fīliīs historiam sacram → “The priest tells the sacred story to the children”
202.3 Nōbīs nārrāvit mystēria fideī nostrae → “He told us the mysteries of our faith”
202.4 Quis nārrat magnālia Dominī? → “Who tells the great deeds of the Lord?”
202.5 Beātus Augustīnus nārrābat vitam suam → “Blessed Augustine was telling the story of his life”
202.6 Apostolī nārrāvērunt ōmnibus gentibus Ēvangelium → “The apostles told the Gospel to all the nations”
202.7 Nārrā mihi dē amōre Deī → “Tell me about the love of God”
202.8 Scrīptūrae Sacrae nārrant nōbīs dē salūte → “The Sacred Scriptures tell us about salvation”
202.9 Nōn possum nārrāre ōmnia quae vīdī → “I cannot tell all the things which I have seen”
202.10 Māter Ecclēsia nārrat fīliīs suīs vēritātem → “Mother Church tells the truth to her children”
202.11 Martyrēs nārrābant dē passīōne Christī → “The martyrs were telling about the suffering of Christ”
202.12 Oportet nōs nārrāre opera Dominī → “It is fitting that we tell the works of the Lord”
202.13 Prophētae nārrāvērunt dē adventū Messīae → “The prophets told about the coming of the Messiah”
202.14 Sānctī Patrēs nārrant nōbīs fīdem rēctam → “The Holy Fathers tell us the right faith”
202.15 Nārrētis fīliīs vestrīs haec ōmnia → “May you tell your children all these things”
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202.1 Caelī ēnarrant glōriam Deī.
202.2 Sacerdōs nārrat fīliīs historiam sacram.
202.3 Nōbīs nārrāvit mystēria fideī nostrae.
202.4 Quis nārrat magnālia Dominī?
202.5 Beātus Augustīnus nārrābat vitam suam.
202.6 Apostolī nārrāvērunt ōmnibus gentibus Ēvangelium.
202.7 Nārrā mihi dē amōre Deī.
202.8 Scrīptūrae Sacrae nārrant nōbīs dē salūte.
202.9 Nōn possum nārrāre ōmnia quae vīdī.
202.10 Māter Ecclēsia nārrat fīliīs suīs vēritātem.
202.11 Martyrēs nārrābant dē passīōne Christī.
202.12 Oportet nōs nārrāre opera Dominī.
202.13 Prophētae nārrāvērunt dē adventū Messīae.
202.14 Sānctī Patrēs nārrant nōbīs fīdem rēctam.
202.15 Nārrētis fīliīs vestrīs haec ōmnia.
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Grammar Rules for This Passage:
The verb narrāre belongs to the first conjugation, the most regular and predictable of the four Latin verb conjugations. Its principal parts are: -
narrō (I tell) — first person singular present indicative active -
narrāre (to tell) — present active infinitive -
narrāvī (I told, I have told) — first person singular perfect indicative active -
narrātum (told, having been told) — supine / perfect passive participle
Present Indicative Active: -
narrō, narrās, narrat, narrāmus, narrātis, narrant
Imperfect Indicative Active: -
narrābam, narrābās, narrābat, narrābāmus, narrābātis, narrābant
Perfect Indicative Active: -
narrāvī, narrāvistī, narrāvit, narrāvimus, narrāvistis, narrāvērunt
Present Subjunctive Active: -
narrem, narrēs, narret, narrēmus, narrētis, narrent
Imperative: -
narrā (singular: Tell!) -
narrāte (plural: Tell!)
Key Grammatical Points from the Examples: -
Dative of Indirect Object: The person to whom one tells something takes the dative case. “Nārrat fīliīs” (he tells to the children), “nōbīs nārrāvit” (he told to us). -
Accusative of Direct Object: The thing told takes the accusative case. “Nārrat historiam” (he tells the story), “nārrāvērunt Ēvangelium” (they told the Gospel). -
De + Ablative: When expressing “about” or “concerning,” Latin uses the preposition dē with the ablative case. “Dē amōre Deī” (about the love of God), “dē passīōne Christī” (about the suffering of Christ). -
Compound Verb Ēnarrāre: The prefix ē- (or ex-) intensifies the meaning to “tell forth completely, declare fully.” “Caelī ēnarrant” means the heavens completely declare or proclaim God’s glory. -
Subjunctive for Wishes/Commands: “Nārrētis fīliīs vestrīs” uses the present subjunctive to express a wish or gentle command: “May you tell your children.” -
Infinitive with Modal Verbs: “Possum nārrāre” (I am able to tell), “Oportet nōs nārrāre” (It is fitting for us to tell). The infinitive nārrāre serves as the complement.
Common Student Errors: -
Confusing accusative (what is told) with dative (to whom it is told) -
Forgetting that dē takes the ablative, not accusative -
Irregular stress: the stress falls on -rā- in narrāre (narˈraːre), not on the first syllable
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The verb narrāre occupies a central place in Catholic tradition, where the oral and written transmission of faith is paramount. The Latin Church has always emphasized the importance of telling the faith—from catechesis to preaching, from the reading of Scripture in the liturgy to the recounting of the lives of saints.
Biblical Vocabulary: The word magnālia (great deeds, mighty works), which appears in our examples, is authentic Vulgate vocabulary. In Acts 2:11, the crowds at Pentecost hear the apostles speaking “magnālia Deī” (the great works of God). This term, when paired with narrāre, captures the essential Catholic understanding that faith is transmitted by telling of God’s wondrous deeds.
The Psalmic Tradition: The famous verse “Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei” (Psalm 18:2 Vulgate / Psalm 19:1 in modern numbering) has been set to music by countless composers, from Gregorian chant to Renaissance polyphony. The word ēnarrant suggests that creation itself is a narrator, proclaiming divine glory without words yet heard throughout the world.
Patristic Usage: Saint Augustine’s Confessiones is fundamentally a narrātiō—a telling of his life to God. In Book I, Augustine speaks of those who “copiōsē ornātēque nārrant” (tell richly and ornately) about worldly matters, while he desires to narrate the truth of God’s mercy.
Liturgical Proclamation: In the Mass, the deacon or priest narrates the Gospel. The term “narrātiō” also appears in classical rhetoric to describe the statement of facts in a speech—a usage the Church Fathers adapted for homiletics.
Catechetical Tradition: The Narrātiō was a technical term in early Christian catechesis for recounting salvation history to catechumens. Augustine’s “De catechizandīs rudibus” discusses how to narrate the divine story effectively to new believers.
The Tradition of Hagiography: The lives of saints are narrated to edify the faithful. From the earliest martyr acts to medieval hagiographies, the Church has always prized the art of telling holy lives.
Reminder: This lesson is designed for English speakers learning Ecclesiastical Latin in the Catholic tradition.
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Source: Psalm 18:2-5 (Vulgate), known in English as Psalm 19:1-4
This psalm is among the most celebrated in the Latin liturgical tradition, appearing in the Divine Office and providing text for countless musical settings.
Part F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Caelī the-heavens-NOM ēnarrant tell-forth glōriam glory-ACC Deī of-God-GEN et and opera the-works-ACC manuum of-the-hands-GEN eius his-GEN adnūntiat announces firmāmentum the-firmament-NOM
Diēs day-NOM diēī to-day-DAT ēructat pours-forth verbum word-ACC et and nox night-NOM noctī to-night-DAT indicat declares scientiam knowledge-ACC
Nōn not sunt are loquēlae speeches-NOM neque nor sermōnēs words-NOM quōrum of-which-GEN nōn not audiantur may-be-heard vōcēs voices-NOM eōrum their-GEN
In into omnem all-ACC terram earth-ACC exīvit has-gone-out sonus sound-NOM eōrum their-GEN et and in into fīnēs ends-ACC orbis of-the-world-GEN terrae of-earth-GEN verba words-NOM eōrum their-GEN
Part F-B: Natural Translation
Caelī ēnarrant glōriam Deī, et opera manuum eius adnūntiat firmāmentum. → “The heavens tell forth the glory of God, and the firmament announces the works of his hands.”
Diēs diēī ēructat verbum, et nox noctī indicat scientiam. → “Day pours forth speech to day, and night declares knowledge to night.”
Nōn sunt loquēlae neque sermōnēs quōrum nōn audiantur vōcēs eōrum. → “There are no speeches nor words whose voices are not heard.”
In omnem terram exīvit sonus eōrum, et in fīnēs orbis terrae verba eōrum. → “Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”
Part F-C: Original Latin Text Only
Caelī ēnarrant glōriam Deī, et opera manuum eius adnūntiat firmāmentum. Diēs diēī ēructat verbum, et nox noctī indicat scientiam. Nōn sunt loquēlae neque sermōnēs quōrum nōn audiantur vōcēs eōrum. In omnem terram exīvit sonus eōrum, et in fīnēs orbis terrae verba eōrum.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This magnificent passage illustrates several key Latin constructions:
The verb ēnarrant is compound: the prefix ē- (from ex) intensifies the basic meaning of nārrāre, suggesting complete or emphatic declaration. The heavens do not merely mention God’s glory; they proclaim it fully.
The phrase diēs diēī ēructat verbum shows the dative of reference or advantage—day pours forth speech to day, creating a chain of proclamation across time. The verb ēructāre literally means “to belch forth” but in poetic usage means “to pour out abundantly.”
The relative clause quōrum nōn audiantur vōcēs eōrum uses the subjunctive audiantur in a characteristic of result clause—there are no languages such that their voices are not heard.
Saint Jerome’s translation captures the Hebrew parallelism beautifully: heavens/firmament, day/night, sound/words—each pair reinforcing the central message that all creation tells of God’s glory without ceasing.
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A catechetical dialogue in the tradition of Augustine’s “De catechizandīs rudibus”
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text Part F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Caelī the-heavens-NOM ēnarrant tell-forth glōriam glory-ACC Deī of-God-GEN et and opera the-works-ACC manuum of-the-hands-GEN eius his-GEN adnūntiat announces firmāmentum the-firmament-NOM
Diēs day-NOM diēī to-day-DAT ēructat pours-forth verbum word-ACC et and nox night-NOM noctī to-night-DAT indicat declares scientiam knowledge-ACC
Nōn not sunt are loquēlae speeches-NOM neque nor sermōnēs words-NOM quōrum of-which-GEN nōn not audiantur may-be-heard vōcēs voices-NOM eōrum their-GEN
In into omnem all-ACC terram earth-ACC exīvit has-gone-out sonus sound-NOM eōrum their-GEN et and in into fīnēs ends-ACC orbis of-the-world-GEN terrae of-earth-GEN verba words-NOM eōrum their-GEN