As Richard Cartwright notes*, The Athanasian Creed is of uncertain date and origin. "Only two things are known with certainty about it: that it is not a creed, and that it was not composed by Athanasius. Throughout the Middle Ages it was attributed to Athanasius, whence its name; but the attribution is now known to have been incorrect, and perhaps the likeliest hypothesis is that it originated in southern France in the late fifth or early sixth century. " Here it is in the original Latin, with parallel English text.
* In his celebrated paper "On the Logical Problem of the Trinity" (which you can find here).
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Quicunque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem: | Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. |
| Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternam peribit. | Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. |
| Fides autem catholica haec est | And the Catholic Faith is this: |
| ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur. | That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, |
| Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam seperantes. | Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance [Essence]. |
| Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti: | For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. |
| Sed Patris, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas. | But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. |
| Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. |
| Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | The Father uncreate [uncreated], the Son uncreate [uncreated], and the Holy Ghost uncreate [uncreated]. |
| Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | The Father incomprehensible [unlimited], the Son incomprehensible [unlimited], and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible [unlimited]. |
| Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. |
| Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus. | And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. |
| Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus. | As also there are not three incomprehensibles [infinites], nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible [infinite]. |
| Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. |
| Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens. | And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. |
| Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. |
| Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus. | And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. |
| Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. | So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. |
| Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus [est] Dominus. | And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. |
| Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compelimur: | For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord, |
| Ita tres Deos aut [tres] Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur. | So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be [are] three Gods, or three Lords. |
| Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus. | The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. |
| Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus. | The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. |
| Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens. | The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. |
| Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti. | So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. |
| Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: | And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another [there is nothing before, or after: nothing greater or less]; |
| Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales. | But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. |
| Ita, ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit. | So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. |
| Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat. | He therefore that will be saved must [let him] thus think of the Trinity. |
| Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat. | Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus [pariter] et homo est. | For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; |
| Deus [est] ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus. | God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his Mother, born in the world; |
| Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens. | Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; |
| Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem. | Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. |
| Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus. | Who although he be [is] God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; |
| Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum. | One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking assumption of the Manhood into God; |
| Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae. | One altogether, not by confusion of Substance [Essence], but by unity of Person. |
| Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus. | For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; |
| Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis. | Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell [Hades, spirit-world], rose again the third day from the dead. |
| Ascendit ad [in] caelos, sedet ad dexteram [Dei] Patris [omnipotentis]. | He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God [God the Father] Almighty, |
| Inde venturus [est] judicare vivos et mortuos. | From whence [thence] he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. |
| Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis; | At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies |
| Et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem. | And shall give account for their own works. |
| Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum. | And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. |
| Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit. | This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully [truly and firmly], he cannot be saved. |