This book is not a complete collection of hymns; I have only translated some of the most beautiful hymns from the treasure of the Catholic Church. In doing so, I do not always replicate the meter of the originals. I refrain from using rhymes, as Latin is much more conducive to rhyming than German, and a copy of the rhyme scheme often sounds forced. Two of the works presented here are not hymns, nor are they songs of praise: The 24th song of the Carmina Burana deals with the transience of the world, and Omnis mundi creatura by Alanus ab Insulis describes the mortality of man. Both songs contain the call to a Christian life that is unaffected by material values. I have included them because I see them as a form of praise to God – and because I find them beautiful and do not know where else to place them. Medieval Latin was written differently than clear Latin.