Pange Lingua Gloriosi
The Pange Lingua is pre-eminently the hymn of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is the most beautiful
of the great Eucharistic hymns of St. Thomas and is one of the finest of medieval Latin hymns;
a wonderful union of sweetness of melody with clear-cut dogmatic teaching.
Pange lingua gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
Quem in mundi pretium
Fructus ventris generosi,
Rex effudit gentium.
Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
Of His flesh the mystery sing;
Of His Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our immortal King,
Destined, for the world's redemption,
From a noble womb to spring.
Nobis datus, nobis natus
Ex intacta Virgine,
Et in mundo conversatus,
Sparso verbi semine,
Sui moras incolatus,
Miro clausit ordine.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then He closed in solemn order,
Wondrously His life of woe.
In supremae nocte cenae,
Recuм bens cuм fratribus,
Observata lege plene
Cibis in legalibus,
Cibum turbae duodenae
Se dat suis manibus
On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
First fulfills the Law's command;
Then as Food to all His brethren,
Gives Himself with His own hand.
Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem efficit:
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
Et si sensus deficit,
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
Sola fides sufficit.
Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature,
By His word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes;
What though sense no change discerns,
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum docuмentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio. Amen
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from Each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.