The Psalms have been adopted by Christianity, while the hymns that emerged within the realm of Latin culture represent its own contribution to the poetry of world literature. This literature, intended for worship and private devotion, began to appear in the 4th century. By the end of the Middle Ages, the collection had grown to nearly thirty thousand titles. Hundreds have remained in constant liturgical use in modern times. The Latin hymn has served as the foundation for German-language church song poetry, as seen in the Passion hymn "O Haupt, voll Blut und Wunden." Pieces like "Stabat mater" or "Dies irae" have inspired major compositions. From this treasure, thirty-three titles are selected in the present edition. Each Latin text is followed by a new translation or a liturgically used adaptation. Some remarks on the text transmission and a detailed...