Hymns for Festivals
Hymns for Corpus Christi, and for the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, on Holy Thursday .
Pange lingua gloriosi
Sing, O my tongue, adore and praise
Corporis mysterium,
The depth of God’s mysterious ways:
Sanguinisque pretiosi
How Christ, the world’s great King, bestow’d
Quem in mundi pretium,
His flesh conceal’d in human food,
Fructus ventris generosi,
And left mankind the blood that paid
Rex effudit gentium.
The ransom for the souls he made.
Nobis datis, nobus natus,
Given from above, and born for man,
Ex intacta virgine;
From virgin chaste his life began:
Et in mundo conversatus
He liv’d on earth, and preached to sow
Sparso verbi semine,
The seeds of heavenly love below;
Sui notas incolatus
Then seal’d his mission from above
Miro clausit ordine!
With strange effects of power and love!
In supremæ nocte cœnæ,
’Twas on that ev’ning when the last
Recumbens cum fratribus,
And most mysterious supper past;
Observata lege plene
When Christ with his disciples sat,
Cibis in legalibus,
To close the law with legal meat;
Cibum turbæ duodense
Then to the twelve himself bestow’d
Se dat suis manibus.
With his own hands to be their food.
Verbum caro, panem verum,
The Word made flesh for love of man,
Verbo carnem efficit:
His word turns bread to flesh again,
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
And wine to blood, unseen by sense,
Et si sensus deficit,
By virtue of omnipotence:
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
And here the faithful rest secure,
Sola fides sufficit.
Whilst God can vouch and faith insure.
Tantum ergo sacramentum
To this mysterious table now,
Veneremur cernui;
Our knees, our hearts, and sense we bow:
Et antiquum documentum,
Let ancient rites resign their place
Novo cedat ritui,
To nobler elements of grace:
Præstet fides supplementum
And faith for all defects supply,
Sensuum defectui.
Whilst sense is lost in mystery.
Genitori, Genitoque,
To God the Father, born of none,
Laus et jubilatio,
To Christ his co-eternal Son,
Salus, honor, virtus, quoque,
And Holy Ghost, whose equal rays,
Sit et benedictio:
From both proceed, be equal praise:
Procedenti ab utroque,
One honour, jubilee, and fame,
Compar sit laudatio. Amen.
For ever bless his glorious name. Amen.
V. Panem de cœlo præstitisti eis. Alleluia.
V. Thou hast given them bread from heaven. Alleluia.
R. Omne delectamentum in se habentum. Alleluia.
R. Abounding with whatever is delicious. Alleluia.
1.
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory,
Of His Flesh the myst’ry sing;
Of the Blood all price exceeding
Shed by our immortal King,
Destined, for the world’s redemption,
From a noble womb to spring,
2.
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
Wonderously His Life of Woe.
3.
On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He the Paschal victim eating,
First fulfills the law’s command;
Then, as Food to His Apostles
Gives Himself with His own Hand.
4.
Word made Flesh, the bread of nature
By His word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes:
What through sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
5.
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.
6.
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.