When Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of Corpus Christi in 1264, he entrusted the composition of its liturgical texts to the greatest theologian of the age. Thomas Aquinas — the author of the Summa Theologiae — put the whole of his intellect at the service of a single thing: to sing the mystery of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. From this came some of the most beautiful hymns ever written in Latin, prayed for almost eight centuries.

Here are the four hymns named in the piece on the history of Corpus Christi — each in Latin, with an English translation alongside. The translation aims at fidelity to the sense, not at rhyme.

Hymn for Vespers and the procession

Pange Lingua Gloriosi

The last two stanzas form the Tantum Ergo, sung at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

LatinEnglish
1
Pange, lingua, gloriósi
Córporis mystérium,
Sanguinísque pretiósi,
Quem in mundi prétium
Fructus ventris generósi
Rex effúdit géntium.
Sing, my tongue, the mystery
of the glorious Body,
and of the precious Blood
which — the price of the world —
the King of the nations poured forth,
fruit of a noble womb.
2
Nobis datus, nobis natus
Ex intácta Vírgine,
Et in mundo conversátus,
Sparso verbi sémine,
Sui moras incolátus
Miro clausit órdine.
Given to us, born for us
of an undefiled Virgin,
he dwelt among us in the world
and scattered the seed of the word;
and the time of his sojourning
he closed in a wondrous order.
3
In suprémæ nocte cœnæ
Recúmbens cum frátribus,
Observáta lege plene
Cibis in legálibus,
Cibum turbæ duodénæ
Se dat suis mánibus.
On the night of the Last Supper,
reclining with his brethren,
the Law fully kept
as to the prescribed foods,
he gives himself with his own hands
as food to the company of the Twelve.
4
Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem éfficit:
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
Et si sensus déficit,
Ad firmándum cor sincérum
Sola fides súfficit.
The Word made flesh, by a word,
makes true bread his flesh;
and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ.
And if the senses fall short,
faith alone suffices
to make firm the sincere heart.
Tantum Ergo
5
Tantum ergo Sacraméntum
Venerémur cérnui:
Et antíquum documéntum
Novo cedat rítui:
Præstet fides suppleméntum
Sénsuum deféctui.
So great a Sacrament, therefore,
let us venerate, bowed low;
and let the old observance
give way to the new rite;
let faith supply
for the failure of the senses.
6
Genitóri, Genitóque
Laus et jubilátio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedíctio:
Procedénti ab utróque
Compar sit laudátio. Amen.
To the Father and the Son
be praise and jubilation,
salvation, honour, and power,
and blessing too;
and to the One who proceeds from both
be equal praise. Amen.
✠
Sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christi

Lauda Sion Salvatorem

Sung before the Gospel. From “Ecce panis Angelorum” begins its shorter form.

LatinEnglish
1
Lauda Sion Salvatórem,
Lauda ducem et pastórem
In hymnis et cánticis.
Praise, O Sion, your Saviour,
praise your leader and shepherd
in hymns and canticles.
2
Quantum potes, tantum aude:
Quia major omni laude,
Nec laudáre súfficis.
Dare as much as you can,
for he is greater than all praise,
nor can you praise him enough.
3
Laudis thema speciális,
Panis vivus et vitális
Hódie propónitur.
A special theme of praise,
the living and life-giving Bread,
is set before us today.
4
Quem in sacræ mensa cœnæ
Turbæ fratrum duodénæ
Datum non ambígitur.
That at the table of the sacred supper
it was given to the company of the twelve brethren
is not in doubt.
5
Sit laus plena, sit sonóra,
Sit jucúnda, sit decóra
Mentis jubilátio.
Let the praise be full and sonorous,
let the soul’s jubilation
be joyful and seemly.
6
Dies enim solémnis ágitur,
In qua mensæ prima recólitur
Hujus institútio.
For the solemn day is kept
on which the first institution
of this table is recalled.
7
In hac mensa novi Regis,
Novum Pascha novæ legis
Phase vetus términat.
At this table of the new King,
the new Pasch of the new law
brings the old Passover to an end.
8
Vetustátem nóvitas,
Umbram fugat véritas,
Noctem lux elíminat.
Newness puts the old to flight,
truth puts the shadow to flight,
light dispels the night.
9
Quod in cœna Christus gessit,
Faciéndum hoc expréssit
In sui memóriam.
What Christ did at the supper,
he charged to be done
in memory of him.
10
Docti sacris institútis,
Panem, vinum in salútis
Consecrámus hóstiam.
Taught by his sacred ordinances,
we consecrate bread and wine
into the victim of salvation.
11
Dogma datur Christiánis,
Quod in carnem transit panis,
Et vinum in sánguinem.
To Christians a dogma is given:
that bread passes into flesh,
and wine into blood.
12
Quod non capis, quod non vides,
Animósa firmat fides,
Præter rerum órdinem.
What you do not grasp, what you do not see,
a courageous faith affirms,
beyond the order of things.
13
Sub divérsis speciébus,
Signis tantum, et non rebus,
Latent res exímiæ.
Under different appearances,
signs only, and not the realities,
lie hidden things of great worth.
14
Caro cibus, sanguis potus:
Manet tamen Christus totus
Sub utráque spécie.
Flesh is food, blood is drink:
yet Christ remains entire
under each appearance.
15
A suménte non concísus,
Non confráctus, non divísus:
Integer accípitur.
By the one who receives, he is not cut,
not broken, not divided:
he is received whole.
16
Sumit unus, sumunt mille:
Quantum isti, tantum ille:
Nec sumptus consúmitur.
One receives, a thousand receive:
as much as one, so much each:
nor, being received, is he consumed.
17
Sumunt boni, sumunt mali:
Sorte tamen inæquáli,
Vitæ vel intéritus.
The good receive, the bad receive,
but with unequal lot:
of life, or of destruction.
18
Mors est malis, vita bonis:
Vide paris sumptiónis
Quam sit dispar éxitus.
It is death to the bad, life to the good:
see how, of a like receiving,
how unlike is the outcome.
19
Fracto demum sacraménto,
Ne vacílles, sed meménto
Tantum esse sub fragménto,
Quantum toto tégitur.
When at last the Sacrament is broken,
do not waver, but remember
that there is as much under a fragment
as is contained beneath the whole.
20
Nulla rei fit scissúra:
Signi tantum fit fractúra,
Qua nec status, nec statúra
Signáti minúitur.
No breaking of the reality occurs:
only of the sign is there a breaking,
by which neither the state nor the stature
of the One signified is lessened.
Forma breve · Ecce panis Angelorum
21
Ecce panis Angelórum,
Factus cibus viatórum:
Vere panis filiórum,
Non mitténdus cánibus.
Behold the Bread of Angels,
made the food of pilgrims:
truly the bread of the children,
not to be thrown to dogs.
22
In figúris præsignátur,
Cum Isaac immolátur,
Agnus Paschæ deputátur,
Datur manna pátribus.
In figures it was foreshadowed:
when Isaac was offered,
when the Paschal lamb was appointed,
when manna was given to the fathers.
23
Bone pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserére:
Tu nos pasce, nos tuére:
Tu nos bona fac vidére
In terra vivéntium.
Good shepherd, true bread,
Jesus, have mercy on us:
feed us and protect us;
make us see good things
in the land of the living.
24
Tu qui cuncta scis et vales,
Qui nos pascis hic mortáles:
Tuos ibi commensáles,
Cohærédes et sodáles
Fac sanctórum cívium. Amen. Allelúia.
You who know and can do all things,
who feed us mortals here below:
make us there your table-companions,
coheirs and fellows
of the holy citizens. Amen. Alleluia.
✠
Hymn of adoration and thanksgiving

Adoro te Devote

Prayed in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and in thanksgiving after Communion.

LatinEnglish
1
Adóro te devóte, latens Déitas,
Quæ sub his figúris vere látitas:
Tibi se cor meum totum súbjicit,
Quia te contémplans totum déficit.
I adore you devoutly, hidden Godhead,
who truly lie concealed beneath these appearances:
to you my heart wholly submits itself,
for, contemplating you, it wholly fails.
2
Visus, tactus, gustus in te fállitur,
Sed audítu solo tuto créditur;
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Fílius:
Nil hoc verbo veritátis vérius.
Sight, touch and taste in you are deceived,
but by hearing alone one safely believes;
I believe whatever the Son of God has said:
nothing is truer than this word of truth.
3
In cruce latébat sola Déitas,
At hic latet simul et humánitas;
Ambo tamen credens atque cónfitens,
Peto quod petívit latro pœnitens.
On the cross the Godhead alone was hidden,
but here the humanity is hidden as well;
yet believing and confessing both,
I ask what the penitent thief asked.
4
Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intúeor;
Deum tamen meum te confíteor:
Fac me tibi semper magis crédere,
In te spem habére, te dilígere.
The wounds, as Thomas did, I do not behold;
yet I confess you to be my God:
make me ever believe in you the more,
place my hope in you, and love you.
5
O memoriále mortis Dómini,
Panis vivus vitam præstans hómini,
Præsta meæ menti de te vívere,
Et te illi semper dulce sápere.
O memorial of the Lord’s death,
living Bread that gives life to man,
grant to my soul to live by you,
and ever to taste your sweetness.
6
Pie pellicáne, Jesu Dómine,
Me immúndum munda tuo sánguine,
Cujus una stilla salvum fácere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scélere.
Loving pelican, Lord Jesus,
cleanse me, unclean, in your blood,
a single drop of which can save
the whole world from all its sin.
7
Jesu, quem velátum nunc aspício,
Oro fiat illud quod tam sítio:
Ut te reveláta cernens fácie,
Visu sim beátus tuæ glóriæ. Amen.
Jesus, whom now I behold veiled,
I pray that what I so thirst for may come to pass:
that, beholding you with face unveiled,
I may be blessed in the sight of your glory. Amen.
✠
Closing stanzas of the hymn Verbum Supernum (Lauds)

O Salutaris Hostia

Also sung at the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

LatinEnglish
1
O salutáris Hóstia,
Quæ cæli pandis óstium:
Bella premunt hostília,
Da robur, fer auxílium.
O saving Victim,
who open the gate of heaven:
hostile wars press upon us;
give strength, bring help.
2
Uni trinóque Dómino
Sit sempitérna glória:
Qui vitam sine término
Nobis donet in pátria. Amen.
To the Lord, one and triune,
be everlasting glory:
may he grant us life without end
in our homeland. Amen.

These are the texts that, eight centuries on, are still sung before the monstrance. Return to the history of the feast that gave them birth.