Levo oculos meos in montes
“I lift up my eyes to the hills.”
Vulgate, Psalm 120:1
What does “Levo oculos meos in montes” mean?
Levo oculos meos in montes translates as “I lift up my eyes to the hills.”
The psalmist looks up to the mountains and asks where help will come from, answering that it comes from the Lord. It is a classic expression of hope in hard times.
“Levo oculos meos in montes” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Levo | I lift up | first person singular present active indicative of levo, “to raise, lift”; the subject “I” is built into the ending |
| oculos | eyes | accusative plural (direct object) of oculus, “eye” |
| meos | my | accusative plural masculine of meus, “my”; agrees with oculos |
| in | into, toward | preposition; with the accusative it shows direction, “toward” (with the ablative it would mean “in, on”) |
| montes | mountains, hills | accusative plural of mons, “mountain, hill”, after in |
How to pronounce “Levo oculos meos in montes”
The only real difference is the v: a w sound in Classical Latin (LEH-woh), a v in Church Latin (LEH-voh). The stress falls on the first syllable of levo, oculos and montes, and on the first syllable of meos (MEH-ohs).
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “I lift my eyes toward the mountains”. Latin often leaves out the pronoun, because the ending of levo already means “I”. English usually renders montes as “hills”, as in the familiar translation of the Hebrew.
These are the opening words of Psalm 121 in the Hebrew numbering, which is Psalm 120 in the Vulgate, the Latin Bible translated largely by Jerome around 400. The psalm belongs to the Songs of Ascents, a group of psalms traditionally linked with pilgrims travelling up to Jerusalem.
The psalm goes on to ask where help comes from and answers that it comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The Latin line is often quoted on its own as an image of hope when times are hard.
How to use “Levo oculos meos in montes”
Fits a mountain chapel, a hiking journal or a sympathy card, wherever you want a quiet image of looking up and hoping for help. It also works as a tattoo or inscription for someone who loves mountains and values the Psalms.
- Latin
- Levo oculos meos in montes
- English
- I lift up my eyes to the hills.
- Source
- Vulgate, Psalm 120:1
- Era
- Church Latin
- Theme
- Hope
Common mistakes
- It is easy to read the line as merely scenic. In the psalm the hills lead into a question about where help comes from, and the answer is God, not the mountains themselves.
- Levo is “I lift, raise”, not “I leave” or “I live”. Do not confuse it with linquo (“I leave”) or vivo (“I live”).
- Montes is accusative plural after in, meaning toward. Writing in montibus changes the meaning to “in the mountains”, with no sense of looking up toward them.
- Verses of Psalm 121 are numbered 120 in the Vulgate and in older Catholic Bibles, so a citation of “Psalm 120:1” and one of “Psalm 121:1” refer to the same line.
Questions about “Levo oculos meos in montes”
What does “Levo oculos meos in montes” mean literally?
“I lift my eyes toward the mountains.” English Bibles usually say “hills”. Both fit montes, which can mean either.
Where does “Levo oculos meos in montes” come from?
It is the first line of Psalm 120 in the Vulgate, Psalm 121 in Hebrew and most modern Bibles. The psalm is one of the Songs of Ascents.
How do you pronounce “Levo oculos meos in montes”?
In Classical Latin: LEH-woh OH-koo-lohs MEH-ohs in MOHN-tehs. In Church Latin the v becomes a v sound: LEH-voh. The rest is the same.
Is “Levo oculos meos in montes” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is the Vulgate wording. In some editions the line reads Levavi oculos meos (“I lifted up my eyes”), so check which version you want.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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