The text, "Verbe égal au Très-Haut" ("Word, one with the Highest"), is a French paraphrase by Jean Racine of a Latin hymn from the breviary for matins, Consors paterni luminis.

[1] At age 19, in 1864–65, he composed Cantique de Jean Racine, scored for four vocal parts and piano or organ and that time he received the first prize in the 1865 contest.

[1] A version for a larger orchestra, with wind instruments but without organ, was possibly written by Fauré himself and first played on 28 January 1906, according to a program of the Société de concerts du Conservatoire.

Word of the Highest, our only hope, Eternal day of earth and the heavens, We break the silence of the peaceful night; Saviour Divine, cast your eyes upon us!

Pour on us the fire of your powerful grace, That all hell may flee at the sound of your voice; Banish the slumber of a weary soul, That brings forgetfulness of your laws!

The French text, "Verbe égal au Très-Haut" (Word, one with the Highest), was written by Jean Racine and published in 1688 in Hymnes traduites du Bréviaire romain.

[7] After ten years of training at the school focused on liturgy, Fauré was able to set "the inspiring text with a gorgeously restrained and respectful charm".

[6] Cantique de Jean Racine already showed traits of his later Requiem, which Fauré composed in 1887, such as "dignity and refined simplicity" (Würde und die vollendete Einfachheit).

[9] A recording of both pieces in their original scoring was released in 2014 with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Stephen Cleobury.