(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, including prayers for the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
The strophe of "" that begins with the words ("bread of angels") has often been set to music separately from the rest of the hymn. Most famously, in 1872 César Franck set this strophe for tenor voice, harp, cello, and organ, and incorporated it into his .
Other hymns for Corpus Christi by Saint Thomas where sections have been separately set to music are "" (the last two strophes begin with "") and "" (the last two strophes begin with "").
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.Full text of "Sacris solemniis", with an English translation by John David Chambers (1805–1893)
References
External links 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