Agnus Dei in Latin
Agnus Dei means "Lamb of God." The Latin prayer is short, but it carries biblical language from John 1:29 into the Mass and into centuries of sacred music.
Working with a passage of your own? Latin translator translates Latin both ways.
Prayer in Latin
Traditional Mass ordinary
Transliteration
How to say it
What it means in English
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
The familiar wording (Traditional public-domain English form):
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
A few things worth knowing
- Agnus means lamb; Dei means of God.
- Peccata mundi means sins of the world, not merely personal mistakes.
- In requiem settings, the wording may change from miserere nobis to dona eis requiem.
The biblical phrase behind it
Agnus Dei echoes John the Baptist's words about Jesus as the Lamb of God. The prayer turns that biblical title into a petition for mercy and peace.
Why it repeats
The text is intentionally repetitive. In the Mass it accompanies a ritual action, and in music the repetition gives composers room to shape the plea.
Where this text comes from
We use Traditional Latin Agnus Dei, Mass ordinary, a public-domain edition, so the wording here is stable and free to read, copy, and share. You can check the source for yourself.
More prayers and verses in their original languages
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Agnus Dei mean?
- It means "Lamb of God."
- What does qui tollis peccata mundi mean?
- It means "who takes away the sins of the world."
- What does dona nobis pacem mean?
- It means "grant us peace."