Choose your preferred version below. The Latin is from St. Jerome's Vulgate (c. 382 AD); the English follows the traditional Catholic translation, both fully in the public domain.
46My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
48because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
49because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name;
50and His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.
51He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
52He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
53He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.
54He has given help to Israel, His servant, mindful of His mercy —
55even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
Luke 1:46–55 · Traditional Catholic translation · Public domain
46Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
47et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo;
48quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ. Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
49quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius,
50et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
51Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
52Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles.
53Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
54Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiæ suæ,
55sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in sæcula.
Vulgate · St. Jerome, c. 382 AD · Public domain
LATIN — VULGATE
Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo;
quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ. Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiæ suæ,
sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in sæcula.
ENGLISH — TRADITIONAL
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name;
and His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, His servant, mindful of His mercy —
even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
What Is the Magnificat?
The Magnificat is the canticle — a song of praise — that the Virgin Mary sang when she visited her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. It is recorded in the Gospel of Luke (1:46–55) and is one of the oldest Marian prayers in existence, predating the Hail Mary and the Rosary by centuries.
Mary prayed these words upon hearing Elizabeth's greeting: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" In response, Mary broke into the song that the Church now calls the Magnificat — named after its opening word in Latin.
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour."
— Luke 1:46–47, the opening of the Magnificat
Scholars note that Mary's canticle echoes the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1–10, showing that Mary, steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures, composed her prayer from the tradition of her faith. The Magnificat is not improvised — it is the fruit of a soul formed by Scripture and open to God's action.
What Does the Magnificat Mean?
The Magnificat is structured around two movements: first, Mary's personal praise for what God has done for her; then, a proclamation of what God does for the poor and humble throughout all of history.
Magnificat anima mea Dominum
My soul magnifies the Lord. The verb magnificat means to make great, to proclaim the greatness of. Mary's soul is an instrument that makes God's greatness visible to the world.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid. Mary identifies herself as God's servant — ancilla, a slave-girl — and marvels that God looked down upon her smallness.
Deposuit potentes de sede, exaltavit humiles
He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The great reversal at the heart of the Gospel — the last shall be first. Mary sees this pattern at work in her own life and in all of history.
Esurientes implevit bonis, divites dimisit inanes
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. God's mercy flows to those who know they need it. Pride and self-sufficiency leave the soul empty.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum
He has given help to Israel, His servant. The Magnificat is not just personal — it is the story of God's faithfulness to His people from Abraham onward, now reaching its fulfilment in Mary's womb.
History of the Magnificat in the Church
The Magnificat has been prayed in the Catholic Church since at least the 4th century. St. Ambrose of Milan (340–397 AD) commented extensively on it, calling Mary's canticle "the prophet of a new age." By the time of St. Benedict (480–547 AD), it was already firmly established as the canticle of Evening Prayer (Vespers) in monastic life.
The Rule of St. Benedict — which shaped Western monasticism and continues in use today — prescribes the Magnificat at Vespers every single evening. This means that for over 1,500 years, monks and nuns around the world have ended each day with Mary's words of praise. The Church's official Liturgy of the Hours, the daily prayer of the universal Church, continues this tradition.
"Let Mary's soul be in each of us to magnify the Lord; let her spirit be in each of us to rejoice in God."
— St. Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke, c. 390 AD
During the Reformation, the Magnificat was one of the few Marian texts retained in Protestant worship. Martin Luther preached a famous commentary on it in 1521, calling it "a tender hymn of praise." Johann Sebastian Bach set it to music in his celebrated Magnificat in D major (BWV 243), one of the most performed choral works in history.
In Catholic tradition, when the Magnificat is sung or recited at Vespers, all present bow or genuflect at the words et incarnatus est — at the Gloria Patri that concludes the canticle — as an act of honour to the mystery of the Incarnation that Mary's canticle announces.
The Magnificat and the Rosary
The Magnificat is not formally part of the Rosary, but it is inseparable from Marian devotion and is closely connected to the Joyful Mysteries — particularly the Second Joyful Mystery: the Visitation. This is the mystery in which Mary travels to visit Elizabeth and prays the Magnificat.
When you pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and meditate on the Visitation, you are entering into the very moment Mary prayed these words. Many Catholics conclude their Rosary with the Magnificat as an additional closing prayer, allowing Mary's voice to be the last word of their prayer.
Some traditional forms of the Rosary, particularly in religious communities, include the Magnificat as a concluding canticle after the Salve Regina. This practice unites the Rosary's meditative prayer with the Church's official Evening Prayer in a single act of devotion.
The Magnificat flows from Mary's soul at the moment of the Visitation — the Second Joyful Mystery. Pray the full Rosary now with free guided audio at ReciteRosary.com.
The Magnificat is the canticle of the Virgin Mary from Luke 1:46–55 — the prayer she prayed when she visited her cousin Elizabeth. It is the Church's Evening Prayer canticle, prayed every day at Vespers since the 4th century.
What does "Magnificat" mean?
Magnificat is the first word of Mary's prayer in Latin: Magnificat anima mea Dominum — "My soul magnifies the Lord." Catholic prayers are traditionally named after their opening Latin word; hence the prayer is called the Magnificat.
When do Catholics pray the Magnificat?
Every day at Evening Prayer (Vespers) as part of the Liturgy of the Hours. It has been prayed this way since at least the Rule of St. Benedict in the 6th century. Many lay Catholics also pray it privately as a Marian devotion, particularly during the Visitation mystery of the Rosary.
Is the Magnificat part of the Rosary?
Not formally — but it is connected to the Second Joyful Mystery (the Visitation), which is the moment Mary prayed it. Some Catholics add it as a closing prayer after the Rosary. It is prayed alongside the Rosary in many religious communities.
Is the Magnificat copyright free?
Yes. The text is from Sacred Scripture (Luke 1:46–55) and the Latin Vulgate translation (c. 382 AD). Both are fully in the public domain. The traditional English translation used on this page is also in the public domain.
How long does it take to pray the Magnificat?
Approximately 60–90 seconds when prayed at a slow, meditative pace. It is ten verses long. In monastic Vespers it is sung and takes 3–5 minutes with the antiphon.