Pange lingua

General Information

Pange lingua are, originally, the opening words of a hymn by Venantius Fortunatus. Several mediaeval hymns cite these words. By far the most prominent of them is the sequence of the feast of Corpus Christi, ascribed to Thomas Aquinas (13th century), the text of which is given below. Single stanzas have also been set to music, especially Tantum ergo and Genitori Genitoque, as well as Verbum caro.

Settings by composers

• Douglas Brooks-Davies (5th stanza, SATB and SAT version)
• Anton Bruckner
  • in D major (1st stanza)
  • composed 1868 (stanzas 1, 5 and 6)
• William Byrd (stanzas 2, 4, 5 and Amen set by Byrd; stanzas 1, 3 and 6 set to plainchant)
• Giovanni Maria Casini (1st stanza)
• Charles H. Giffen
  • Pange lingua (1st stanza)
  • Tantum ergo (5th and 6th stanzaz)
• Gregorian chant (stanzas 1, 5 and 6)
• Francisco Guerrero (stanzas 2, 4 and 5)
• Lorenzo Perosi (stanzas 1, 5 and 6)
• Giuseppe Pitoni (1st stanza)
• Tomás Luis de Victoria
  • Pange lingua gloriosi, in festo Corporis Christi (stanzas 2, 4 and 6 set by Victoria; stanzas 1, 3 and 5 set to plainchant)
  • Pange lingua "more hispano" de Corporis Christi (stanzas 2, 4 and 6 set by Victoria; stanzas 1, 3 and 5 set to plainchant)
  • Pange lingua (stanzas 1, 5 and 6)

Original text and translations

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

English translation 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

English translation

Sound, tongue, the mystery of the glorious body and of the precious blood, which the King of the Peoples, to redeem the world, poured out as the fruit of a noble womb.

Given to us, born to us, by a pure virgin, having dwelled in the world and spread the seed of the word, He completed his time on earth in a miraculuos way.

When, on the night of His last supper, He sat down with His brothers, after fulfilling the law of the ordained (Paschal) meal, He gave himself, with His own hands, to the twelve as nourishment.

The Word that became flesh, by His word turnes true bread into His flesh; and wine becomes the blood of Christ; and if the senses cannot comprehend it, to give assurance to a sincere heart, faith alone suffices.

So let us devoutly revere this great sacrament, and the old covenant may give way to the new rite. May faith grant assistance to the deficiency of our senses.

Jubilant praise, glory, laud, honor, and benediction be to the Father and the Son. Equal praise be to Him that proceeds from the two.

Chinese translation (Translation 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。 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。 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。 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。 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。 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) 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。 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。 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。 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。 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。 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

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.

External links

Wikipedia entry on Pange lingua