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César Franck

Panis angelicus

(Latin for "Bread of Angels" or "Angelic Bread") is the penultimate stanza of the hymn "" written by Saint Thomas Aquinas for the feast of Corpus Christi as part of a complete liturgy of the feast,

Musical settings#

The text was set as a motet by several Renaissance composers including João Lourenço Rebelo. In the seventeenth century, Marc-Antoine Charpentier set H.243 in 1670–75. Later romantic era settings include those by André Caplet, Saint-Saëns, and, best known of all, the setting by César Franck.

Text#

Panis angelicus fit panis hominum; Dat panis cœlicus figuris terminum: O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum pauper, servus et humilis. Te trina Deitas unaque poscimus: Sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus; Per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, Ad lucem quam inhabitas. Amen. Thus Angels’ Bread is made the Bread of man today: the Living Bread from heaven with figures dost away: O wondrous gift indeed! the poor and lowly may upon their Lord and Master feed. Thee, therefore, we implore, O Godhead, One in Three, so may Thou visit us as we now worship Thee; and lead us on Thy way, That we at last may see the light wherein Thou dwellest aye. Amen.

  • Sacris Solemniis in the Catholic Encyclopedia discusses the merits of a number of translations.
  • “Bread of Angels”, Gregorian Chants
  • Archival sheet music for “Panis Angelicus”, Oliver Ditson Company, 1901.
  • , Luciano Pavarotti, conducted by Franz-Paul Decker, 21 September 1978, Montreal
  • by Louis Lambillotte
Composer
César Franck