Pange lingua

General information

Pange Lingua usually refers to Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium, a hymn for the procession of Corpus Christi also sung for the procession to the altar of repose on Maundy Thursday and ascribed to Thomas Aquinas. It is chanted the same tune as the older Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminis, an office hymn by Venantius Fortunatus usually heard at the Adoration of the Cross on Good Friday.

The last two stanzas are sung by themselves at the Exposition of the Most Holy Sacrament and separate settings of Tantum ergo are listed on that page instead of here.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia with survey of English translations

Settings by composers

Anonymous I, Trent codex c.1470 STB (v.1 only) II, Puebla cathedral archives c.1650 SATB III, Trent 88 SSTT IV, with Urbs beata,Trent 88 SATT Douglas Brooks-Davies SATB & SAT (v.5 only) Anton Bruckner in D major (1st stanza, SATB) composed 1868 (stanzas 1, 5 and 6, SATB) William Byrd (stanzas 2, 4, 5 and Amen set by Byrd, ATTB; stanzas 1, 3 and 6 set to plainchant) Giovanni Maria Casini SATB (v.1 only) Adrien Petit Coclico (STT, text only in T) Mariano Garau SATB Charles H. Giffen Pange lingua (1st stanza, SATB) Tantum ergo (5th and 6th stanzas, SATB)

Gregorian chant (stanzas 1, 5 and 6) Francisco Guerrero (stanzas 2, 4 and 5, SSATB) Joachim Kelecom (stanzas 1 & 6, SATB) Nicolas Merques SSA Josef Ohnewald SATB (VIII - vv.1,6) Lorenzo Perosi (stanzas 1, 5 and 6, SATB) Giuseppe Pitoni (1st stanza, SATB) Tomás Luis de Victoria Pange lingua gloriosi, in festo Corporis Christi (stanzas 2, 4 and 6 set by Victoria, SATB; stanzas 1, 3 and 5 set to plainchant) Pange lingua "more hispano" de Corporis Christi (stanzas 2, 4 and 6 set by Victoria, SATB; stanzas 1, 3 and 5 set to plainchant) Pange lingua (stanzas 1, 5 and 6, SATB)

See also Nobis datus, for settings of v.2 alone.

Original text and translations

Latin text 1. Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit Gentium. 2. Nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta virgine et in mundo conversatus, sparso verbi semine, sui moras incolatus miro clausit ordine. 3. In supremae nocte cenae recumbens cum fratribus observata lege plene cibis in legalibus, cibum turbae duodenae se dat suis manibus. 4. Verbum caro, panem verum verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum, et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sincerum sola fides sufficit. 5. Tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui, et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui; praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. 6. Genitori Genitoque laus et iubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio; procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. Amen.

English translation 1. Sing, my tongue, The mystery of the glorious body, And of the precious Blood That for the world’s salvation The fruit of a noble womb, The king of the nations, shed. 2. Given to us, born to us, From an unblemished virgin, And having lived in the world, Scattering the seed of the Word, The time of his habitation Miraculously He closed in due order. 3. In the night of His last supper, Resting with His brothers, The law being fully observed With permitted foods, To the group of twelve He gave Himself as food with his own hands. 4. The Word in flesh true bread By a word makes His flesh, And also makes true wine the Blood of Christ, And if sense is lacking, To confirm a true heart Faith alone suffices. 5. Therefore so great a Sacrament Let us fall down and worship, And let the old law Give way to a new rite, And let faith stand forward To make good the defects of sense. 6. To the Father and the Son Be praise and joy, Health, honour and virtue And blessing, And to him proceeding from both Be equal praise. Amen.

Verse versions

German text Sangbare Übersetzung von Theresia Benedicta vom Kreuz (Edith Stein) 1. Töne, Mund, des glanzverklärten Leibes heil'ge Wundermacht und des nie genug verehrten Bluts, als Sühnpreis dargebracht von dem Sohn der Unversehrten, der die Welt beherrscht mit Macht. 2. Uns gegeben, uns geboren von der Jungfrau sündenrein, in die Welt, die er erkoren, streut des Wortes Samen ein, der, wie's ewig ward geschworen, ließ des Lebens Ende sein. 3. In des letzten Abends Stille ruhend mit der Jünger Schar bei dem Mahl, daß er erfülle, was Gesetz von alters war, reicht er selbst in Broteshülle sich den zwölf Aposteln dar. 4. Wort ward Fleisch von Wortes Werken, Fleisch und Blut aus Brot und Wein, wenn die Sinne es nicht merken, wenn versagt der Augenschein, reicht, ein reines Herz zu stärken, fester Glaube ganz allein. 5. Tiefgebeugt im Staub verehren wir das hohe Gnadenpfand, und des neuen Bundes Lehren lösen des Gesetzes Band, schwacher Sinne Kraft zu mehren hilft des Glaubens starke Hand. 6. Dem Erzeuger und dem Sohne Lob und lauter Jubelklang; ihm, der auf dem höchsten Throne aus der beiden Lieb' entsprang, gleiche Ehre wird zum Lohne, Ruhm und Heil und Lobgesang. Amen.

English text by Edward Caswall (1814-1878) 1. Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory, of His Flesh, the mystery 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 wond'rously His Life of woe. 3. On the night of that Last Supper, seated with His chosen band, He, the Paschal Victim eating, first fulfils 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 though sense no change discerns? Only be the heart in earnest, faith her lesson quickly learns. 5. Down in adoration falling, This great Sacrament we hail, O'er ancient forms of worship Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith will tell us Christ is present, When our human senses fail. 6. To the Everlasting Father, And the Son who made us free And the Spirit, God proceeding From them Each eternally, Be salvation, honour, blessing, Might and endless majesty. Amen. Alleluia.

Chinese translation Translation 1 1. 信友請來 讚美上主，稱頌奧妙之聖體，     又請稱頌 至聖寶血，主因贖世盡傾流，     萬邦之王 生於聖母，自甘流血為人類。 2. 自作犧牲 賜予我等，生於聖潔童貞女，     在世居住 愛情昭著，福音廣布苦不辭，     凡數十年 歷盡艱辛，立斯聖事顯奇跡。 3. 受難前夕 最後晚餐，偕諸兄弟齊坐席     徹底遵守 古教規禮，逾越慶節食羔羊，     還要親自 將己體血，分給門徒作糧食。 4. 天主聖子 一言甫出，面餅即化成聖體，     葡萄酒亦 成為聖血，此中奧妙洞悉難，     為使爾能 信心堅固，只須借仗活信德。 5. 皇皇聖體 尊高無比，我們俯首致欽崇，     古教舊禮 已成陳跡，新約禮儀繼聖功，     五官之力 有所不及，應由信德來補充。 6. 讚美聖父 讚美聖子，歡欣踴躍來主前，     歌頌救主 凱旋勝利，頌揚主德浩無邊，     聖神發自 聖父聖子，同尊同榮同威嚴。     阿們。

Chinese translation Translation 2 1. 信友前來 歡呼贊吟，我主聖體無限情，     救世羔羊 聖血傾流，贖世犧牲換太平，     天地大君 榮王天庭，甘受苦難救我靈。 2. 聖子降生 自取人形，至聖童貞為母親，     三十三載 天涯飄零，山野海角布福音，     終身賴遭 輕慢辱淩，架甘七言終其行。 3. 耶穌受難 前夕晚上，偕諸宗徒聚華堂，     遵循古教 禮儀習尚，宰殺羔羊分啖嘗，     建立聖體 罪債普償，洪恩常流澤萬邦。 4. 真主真人 萬世稱揚，面形聖化成神糧，     酒亦成聖 血爵中藏，全信勿疑主榮光，     敬禮朝拜 耶穌君王，無限深情滿人望。 5. 皇皇聖體 奧蘊深玄， 我眾匍匐主台前，     羔羊聖牲 新祭禮獻，摒除古教棄舊典，     虔誠全信 以至永遠，五官所缺信人堅。 6. 聖父聖子 聖神尊高，至仁至善萬民朝，     齊頌德鹿 神恩豐饒，敬禮讚美共歡躍，     天主聖三 無限蘊奧，永生永王享榮耀。     阿們。

French translation 1. Chante, ô ma langue le mystère du Corps glorieux et du sang précieux que le roi des nations, fils d'une mère féconde, a versé pour le rachat du monde. 5. Si grand donc sacrement que nous adorions inclinés et ancien texte nouveau que cède au rite que donne foi secours des sens de celui qui faiblit 6. Au géniteur et à celui qui a été engendré louange et jubilation salut, honneur force et soit et bénédiction à celui qui procède de et l'un et l'autre égale soit louange Amen

French translation version by Claire Delavallée 5. Ainsi, inclinons-nous et adorons ce si grand sacrement. Que l'ancien texte laisse la place à un rite nouveau. Que la foi vienne suppléer à la faiblesse de nos sens. 6. Que le Père et le Fils reçoivent louange et jubilation, salut, honneur et puissance. L'Esprit qui procède de l'Un et de l'Autre reçoit la même louange. Amen.

Spanish translation 4b. Y si el sentido queda pasmado de tanta y nueva cosa, lo que él no puede, pueda, ose lo que él no osa, la fe determinada y animosa. 5. Honremos, pues, echados por tierra, tan divino Sacramento; y queden desechados, pues vino el cumplimiento, los ritos del Antiguo Testamento. 6. Gloria al Omnipotente, y al gran Engendrador y al Engendrado y al inefablemente de entrambos inspirado, igual alabanza, igual honor sea dado. Amén.

German translation 5. Solch großes Sakrament also wollen wir gesenkten Hauptes verehren, und das alte Bündnis soll dem neuen Ritus weichen. Möge der Glaube dort weiterhelfen, wo die Sinne versagen. 6. Dem Vater und dem Sohne Preis und Jubel! Heil, Ehr, Ruhm und Lobpreis sei ihnen gesagt. Dem, der aus beiden hervorgeht, sei gleiches Lob. Amen.