Sing, my tongue, the Savior'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
Wondrously his life of woe.
On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with his chosen band,
He, the Paschal Victim eating,
First fulfills 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,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail:
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might, and endless majesty.
Amen.
Pange Lingua Gloriosi
Also known as Sing, My Tongue, the Savior's Glory ยท Pange Lingua
Other forms
Latin (Pange Lingua Gloriosi)
About this prayer
The Pange Lingua Gloriosi is one of the four Eucharistic hymns Saint Thomas Aquinas composed in 1264 for the feast of Corpus Christi. It is the foundational hymn of Catholic Eucharistic devotion and one of the most influential pieces of medieval Latin religious poetry. The hymn traces the entire arc of the Incarnation, the Last Supper, and the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist, ending with a trinitarian doxology.
The hymn is structured in six stanzas, each contributing to a single theological argument about the Eucharist. The first three stanzas narrate the Incarnation, ministry, and Last Supper of Christ. The fourth stanza states the doctrine of transubstantiation: the Word made flesh transforms the bread into his body and the wine into his blood. The fifth stanza, the famous 'Tantum Ergo,' calls for adoration of the consecrated sacrament. The sixth stanza is a trinitarian doxology of praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The English translation included here is by Edward Caswall (1814-1878), the Anglican-turned-Catholic priest whose translations of Latin hymns dominated 19th-century English Catholic devotion. His Pange Lingua translation, first published in Lyra Catholica (1849), is the version sung in most English-speaking Catholic parishes today. Caswall died in 1878 and his translation is in the public domain.
Aquinas's Pange Lingua should not be confused with the older 'Pange Lingua Gloriosi Proelium Certaminis' of Venantius Fortunatus (6th century), a hymn about the Passion of Christ used in Holy Week. The two hymns share the opening words and meter but have different subjects, different authors, and different liturgical functions.
When it's said
Sung at Mass on Corpus Christi (the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, observed on the following Sunday in many countries). Sung during the Eucharistic procession on Holy Thursday after the Mass of the Lord's Supper, accompanying the reserved sacrament to the altar of repose. Used at periods of Eucharistic exposition and at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The fifth and sixth stanzas (the 'Tantum Ergo' and the doxology) are sung separately at the close of Benediction services in Catholic parishes around the world. Some Anglican parishes sing the Caswall translation at Maundy Thursday services.
Notes on the text
The Pange Lingua's place in Western liturgical music is enormous. Composers from Josquin des Prez in the 15th century to modern liturgical musicians have set the hymn to chant and polyphony. The plainchant melody (Mode III) is one of the most recognizable in the Gregorian repertoire and has been transcribed into countless polyphonic Mass settings. The two famous excerpts from the Pange Lingua, the Tantum Ergo (verses 5-6) and the doxology, are sung as separate prayers more often than the full hymn. They appear here together as part of the complete Pange Lingua. Each also exists as a stand-alone prayer page in this collection.
Common questions
Is the Aquinas Pange Lingua the same as the Fortunatus Pange Lingua?
What is the Tantum Ergo?
When is the Pange Lingua sung at Mass?
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium (1264), composed for the Office of Corpus Christi at the request of Pope Urban IV. English translation by Edward Caswall, Lyra Catholica (London, 1849). Public domain.
Last reviewed: June 2026 against primary source.