Enciclopedia Cattolica

PANGE LINGUA, GLORIOSI

Pange Lingua, Glorious

Volume IX · p. 425 · 1952

English translation · Testo originale italiano

«PANGE LINGUA, GLORIOSI». - Inno dei Vespri della festa del Corpus Domini, composto da
«PANGE LINGUA, GLORIOSI». - Inno dei Vespri della festa del Corpus Domini, composto da

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

«PANGE LINGUA, GLORIOSI». – Hymn of the Vespers for the feast of Corpus Christi, composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. The metre is that used by Venantius Fortunatus in the *Passio* of the *Patrologia Latina*.

Article illustration
(courtesy of Abbot A. P. Frutaz)

This first Eucharistic hymn invites the celebration of the great mystery of the glorious Body and the precious Blood of Christ poured out for the redemption of the world. In contemplating this mystery of love, one beholds the scene of the Last Supper, in which Jesus institutes the Eucharist, hiding Himself under the appearances of bread and wine to remain among us as a pledge of love: concealed to the eyes of the body, yet visible to those of faith. The hymn closes with an invitation to adore the mystery and with a doxology that echoes the eternal song of glory to God. In this, as in the other hymns of the Office, St. Thomas marvellously unites profound clarity of doctrine with a remarkable melodiousness. The *Tantum ergo* and the final stanza are sung during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and the entire hymn is sung in Eucharistic processions.

BIBL.: H. Daniel, *Thesaurus hymnologicus*, I, Leipzig 1841, pp. 252 ff.; W. Faber, *Le St Sacrament*, Paris 1857, pp. 2 ff.; S. G. Pimont, *Les hymnes du Bréviaire romain*, II, 1818, pp. 164–76; R. Louis, *St Thomas liturgiste*, in *Revue des jeunes*, 2 (1920), pp. 192 ff.; V. ANGIOLINI, *L’Eucaristia nella poesia*, Milan 1939; *Eucharisia, Encyclopédie populaire sur l’Eucharistie*, Paris 1947, pp. 310–20.

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«PANGE LINGUA GLORIOSI... LAUREAM». – Hymn of Matins for Passiontide and on feasts of the Cross, written by Venantius Fortunatus.

Among the most beautiful hymns of the Breviary for its solemn, triumphant chant and harmonious rhythmic movement, it extols the victory of the Cross, the tree of life, over the tree of death, namely the tree of the temptation of Adam and Eve in Eden. The struggle between Christ and Satan, begun in the earthly Paradise, was waged throughout the earthly life of Jesus and reached its solemn conclusion on Calvary, where the Cross ceased to be a mark of shame for the condemned to become the sign of Redemption.

BIBL.: G. G. Belli, *Gli inni del Breviario tradotti*, Rome 1856, p. 146; S. G. Pimont, *Les hymnes du Bréviaire romain*, III, Paris 1884, pp. 47–76; C. Albin, *La poésie du Bréviaire*, Lyons n.d., pp. 161–65; A. Mirra, *Gli inni del Breviario romano*, Naples 1947, pp. 109–11.