"Pange, Lingua, Gloriosi". When Was The Last Time You Heard This Wonderful Devotional Hymn In Your Church ?

Monstrance.

Photo: 2004-10-18 (original upload date).

Source: Own work (zelf gemaakt).

Originally from nl.wikipedia; description page is/was here.

Author: Original uploader was Broederhugo at nl.wikipedia.

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"Pange, Lingua, Gloriosi"

(Sing, my tongue, The Saviour's Glory).

Available on YouTube at

https://youtu.be/r3H5f7oePQE

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium is a Hymn, written by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), for The Feast of Corpus Christi . It is also sung on Maundy Thursday, during the Procession from the Church to the place where The Blessed Sacrament is kept until Good Friday.

The last two stanzas, called, separately, Tantum Ergo, are sung at Benediction of The Blessed Sacrament. The Hymn expresses The Doctrine of Transubstantiation, in which The Bread and Wine are changed into The Body and Blood of Christ.

It is often sung in English as the Hymn "Of The Glorious Body Telling", to the same tune as the Latin.

The opening words recall another famous Latin Sequence, from which this Hymn is derived: Pange Lingua Gloriosi Proelium Certaminis by Venantius Fortunatus.

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 coenae

recumbens cum fratribus

observata lege plene

cibis in legalibus,

cibum turbae duodenae

sedat 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 jubilatio,

salus, honor, virtus quoque

sit et benedictio:

Procedenti ab utroque

compar sit laudatio.

Amen.

Alleluja.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.