Canticles

thumb|Visitation (Ghirlandaio)|Visitation, by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio (1491), depicts Mary visiting her elderly cousin Elizabeth.]]

canticle from the Gospel of Luke

passage from the Gospel of Luke

In the context of Christian liturgy, a canticle (; from the Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, "song") is a psalm-like song with biblical lyrics taken from elsewhere than the Book of Psalms, but included in psalters and books such as the breviary. Of special importance to the Divine Office are three New Testament Canticles that are the climaxes of the Offices of Lauds, Vespers and Compline; these are respectively Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32). There are also a number of Canticles taken from the Old Testament.

passage that appears after Daniel 3:23 in the Septuagint, but not in the Masoretic; considered canonical by Catholics and the Eastern Churches, but not by Protestants; contains a penitential prayer and hymn of praise by the 3 children in the furnace

poem in the Book of Exodus (Exod. 15:1–18)

one of the well known ancient hymn in Christianity

poem in Deuteronomy 32 of the Hebrew Bible

Poem interpreting the Books of Samuel

Book by Johannes van het Kruis