De profundis

The Latin phrase De profundis – pronounced with the first syllable like the word 'day' and the final syllable the long 'ee' sound of 'geese' or 'peace', IPA: /ˌdeɪ prəˈfʊndiːs/ – means 'out of the depths'. De profundis are the first words of Psalm 129 in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Old Testament: De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine. The corresponding verse in the King James Version of the Bible (Psalm 130, v. 1) is 'Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord'. It is clear from the rest of the psalm that the phrase De profundis may be expanded to mean 'out of the depths of sorrow, anguish, or despair': the Psalmist is calling on God to deliver him from a state of deep unhappiness. The appropriate use of the phrase De profundis in English reflects this origin: it is used to refer to the source of one's words or actions in a state of (extreme) unhappiness – as in 'Please excuse the depressing tone of my last letter – it was written de profundis'.

De profundis is also the title of a largely autobiographical work by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). Written towards the end of Wilde's period of imprisonment for 'gross indecency' in Reading Goal (1895-1897), it has the form of a letter addressed to his former lover, Lord Alfred Douglas ('Bosie') (1870-1945), and is in large part an attempt by Wilde to understand his own life. After Wilde left prison, the manuscript was entrusted to his friend, Robert Ross (1869-1918), who authorised the posthumous publication of an edited version in 1905.