Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium is one of the most famous and remarkable hymns of the Roman Breviary (q. v.). The Pange Lingua was writ- ten bj' St. Thomas Aquinas, the " Doctor Angelicus," and is used in the Roman Catholic Church on the feast of Corpus Christi and in solemn masses. It was composed at the instance of pope Urban IV. When that pontiff determined to establish the festival of the Holv Sacra- ment he directed Aquinas to prepare the " office" for that day. The Pange Lingua is a most characteristic example as well of the mediaeval Latin versification as of that union of theology with asceticism which a large class of these hj'mns present. Besides its place in the Breviary, this hymn forms part of the service called Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament, and is sung on all occasions of the exposition, procession, and other public acts of eucharistic worship. The cele- brated hymn in its received form reads as follows:
Pange, lingua gloriosi Corporis mysterium, Sauguinisque pretiosi, Qnem in niundi pretium, Fructus ventris generosi, Eex effudit geutium.
Nobis datus, nobis natus Ex intacta virgiue, Et in raundo conversatus, Sparso verbi semine, Sui moras incolatus Miro clausit ordine.
In supiemoe uocte coense, Recuinbcns cum frulribus, Observata lesre plene Oibis in Icgafibus, Oibum invnoi duodeuae Se dat suis mauibus.
Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem eflicit :
Fltque sanguis Cliristi merura ;
Et si sensiis deficit,
Ad lirniandum cor siucerum
Sola fldes sufHcit.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernni ;
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat rittii,
Praestet tides snppleraeutuni
Seusuum defectui.
Gcnitori, genitoque Lans ft jiibilatio, Sal us, liouor, virtus quoque Sit et benedictio: Pi-ocedenti ab utroque Compar sit laudatio.
'•This hymn," says Mr. Neale, "contests the second place among those of the Western Church with the Vexilla Regis, the Stabat Mater, the Jesus dulcis Me- moria, the Ad Regius Agni Dupes, the Ad Supernam, and one or two others, leaving the Dies Irce (q. v.) in its unapproachable glory. It has been a bow of Ulysses to translators." How true this remark is may be seen from the following specimens both in English and Ger- man : Neale {(>f the glorious Body telling) ; Benedict (_Sing, my tongue, the theme undying) ; Schalf {Sing, my tongue, the mystery telling) ; Palmer {Sing, and the mys- tery declare) ; Caswall {Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory) ; '• Hymns Ancient and Modern" {Xoic, my tongue, the mystery telling) ; Rumbach {Preiset Lippen dus Ge- heimniss) ; Siinrock {Kiindet Lippen alldes llekren) ; Da- niel {Preis'tein Wunderohne Gleichen) ; Fortlage {Zunge, kling in Wundertonen) ; Konigsfeld {Slnget, Hochgesang des Grossen). Trench, in his collection of sacred Latin poetry, has omitted it, because it strongly savors of transubstantiation. For the various translations, comp. Schaff, Christ in Song ; Neale, lifedicevul Hymns ; Ben- edict, Hymn of Hildebert; Caswall, Hymns and Poems; Hymns Ancient and Modern; Rambach, Anthologie, vol. i; Simrock, Lauda Sion Sedvatorem ; Konigsfeld, La- teinische Ilymnen und Gesange ; Biissler, A uswahl alt- christlicher IJeder ; Fortlage, Gesange christlicher Vor- zeit ; Daniel, Jfymnologischer Bliithenstrauss (HaUe, 1840). (B. P.)
Pange lingua gloriosi prcelium certaminis. " This world-famous hymn, one of the grandest in the treasury of the Latin Church, was composed by Fortuna- tus (q. V.) on occasion of the reception of certain relics by St. Gregory of Tours and St. Radegund, previously to the consecration of a church at Poitiers. It is therefore strictly and primarily a processional hymn, though very naturally afterwards adapted to Passion-tide" (Neale). The following is the form of the hymn in the Roman Breviary :
Pange lingua gloriosi lauream certaminis,
Et super cmcis tropseo die trinniphum nobilem,
Qualiter redemptor orbis immolatus vicerit.
De parentis protoplast! fraude factor condolens Quando ponii noxialis in necem morsu ruit, Ipse lignum tunc notavit damua ligni ut solveret.
Hoc opus uostrse salntis ordo depoposcerat ; Alultil'ormis proditoris ars ut ariem fallei'et, Et medelam ferret inde hostis nude Iseserat.
Qnando venit ergo sacri plenitudo temporis Missus est ab arce patris natus orbis conditor Atque ventre virginali carue amictus prodiit.
Vagit infans inter arcta conditns prsesepia, Membra pannis involuta virgo mater alligat, Et Dei manus pedesque stricta cingit fascia.
Lustra sex qui tarn peregit, tenipus implens corporis Sponte libera redemptor passioni deditus, Agnus in crucis levatur inimolandus stipite.
Felle potus ecce lauguet: spina, clavi, lancea Mite corpus perforarunt, unda riianat et cruor: Terra, pontus, astra, muudus quo lavantur flumine.
Crux (idelis inter omnes arbor una uobilis Silva talem nulla profert fronde, ffore, gemine: Dulce ferruni, dulce lignum, dulce pondus sustinent.
Flecte ranios arbor alta, tensa Inxa viscera, Et risjor lentescat ille quern dedit uativitas, Et sujierni membra regis tende miti stipite.
Sola digna tu fuisti ferre mundi victimam, Atque portum prieparare area mundo naufrago, Quern sacer cruor perunxit fusus agni corpore.
[Sempiterna sit beatiB Trinitati gloria, ^qua pafri tilioque, par decus paraclito : IJnius triuiqne nonieu laudet universitas.]
Of this hymn, which the hymnologist Daniel pro- nounced " in pulcherrimorum numero recensendum," we give a part of Mrs. Charles's fine rendering :
PANHELLENIA
613
PANINI
" Spread, my tongue, the wondrous story of the glorious bat- tle, far ! What the trophies and the trininphs of the cross of Jesus are — How tlie Victim, immohited, vanquished in tliat mighty war. Pitying, did the Great Kedeemer Adam's fall and ruin see. Sentenced tlien to death by tasting fruit of the forbidden tree, And lie marked that wood the weapon of redeeming love to be. Thus the scheme of our redemption was of old in order laid, Thus the wily arts were bafHcd of the foe who man betrayed. And the armor of redemption from Death's armory was made."