O salutaris Hostia et Verbum Supernum Prodiens

Ô réconfortante Hostie

(en France)

Ô réconfortante Hostie,

qui nous ouvre les portes du Ciel,

l'ennemi plein de vigueur nous poursuit,

donne-nous la force,

porte-nous secours.

Ô vraiment digne Hostie,

unique espoir des fidèles,

en Toi se confie la France,

donne-lui la paix, conserve le lys.

Au Seigneur unique en trois personnes

soit la Gloire éternelle ;

qu'Il nous donne en Son Royaume

la Vie qui n'aura pas de fin.

Amen.

Autre traduction : voir ci-après dans "Le Verbe est descendu des Cieux" (5.).

N.B. : "O salutaris Hostia" est une hymne chrétienne chantée pour rendre Gloire à Jésus-Christ présent dans l'Eucharistie. Elle fait partie de "Verbum Supernum Prodiens". C'est l'une des Hymnes Eucharistiques écrites par Saint-Thomas d'Aquin (avec "Pange Lingua", comprenant "Tantum Ergo Sacramentum", et "Panis Angelicus"), à la demande du Pape Urbain IV qui a institué la fête de Corpus Christi (Fête-Dieu) le 8 septembre 1264. Cette prière est encore utilisée aujourd'hui, souvent lors de l'exposition du très Saint Sacrement.

Note : Il ne faut pas confondre le "Pange Lingua" de Saint-Thomas d'Aquin avec le "Pange Lingua" de Venantius Fortunatus.

Latin

O salutaris Hostia

Quae coeli pandis ostium.

Bella premunt hostilia ;

Da robur, fer auxilium.

O vere digne Hostia,

Spes unica fidelium :

In te confidit Gallia ;

Da pacem, serva lilium.

Uni trinoque Domino

Sit sempiterna gloria :

Qui vitam sine termino,

Nobis donet in patria.

Amen.

Verbum Supernum Prodiens

1. Verbum supernum prodiens,

Nec Patris linquens dexteram,

Ad opus suum exiens,

Venit ad vitæ vesperam.

2. In mortem a discipulo

Suis tradendus æmulis,

Prius in vitæ ferculo

Se tradidit discipulis.

3. Quibus sub bina specie

Carnem dedit et sanguinem ;

Ut duplicis substantiæ

Totum cibaret hominem.

4. Se nascens dedit socium,

Convescens in edulium,

Se moriens in pretium,

Se regnans dat in præmium.

5. O salutaris hostia,

Quæ cæli pandis ostium,

Bella premunt hostilia ;

Da robur, fer auxilium.

6. Uni trinoque Domino

Sit sempiterna gloria :

Qui vitam sine termino

Nobis donet in patria.

Le Verbe est descendu des Cieux

1. Le Verbe est descendu des Cieux

sans quitter la droite du Père.

Sorti pour accomplir Son oeuvre,

Il vient au soir de Sa vie.

2. Avant d'être livré par un disciple,

aux ennemis pour mourir,

Lui-même, Il se livre le premier

à ses disciples, aliment de Vie.

3. À eux, sous une double Espèce,

Il donne Sa Chair et Son Sang,

afin de nourrir l'homme entièrement,

en Sa double Substance.

4. Enfant, Il se fait notre compagnon,

à la Cène, notre nourriture,

au Calvaire, notre rançon,

aux Cieux, notre récompense.

5. Ô Victime Salutaire

qui ouvrez la porte du Ciel ;

l'ennemi nous pousse au combat :

donnez-nous la force,

apportez-nous le secours.

6. Au Seigneur un et trois *

soit la Gloire éternelle,

qu'Il nous donne la vie sans fin

dans notre éternelle patrie.

Ainsi soit-il.

* Trine.

O Saving Victim opening wide

The gate of heaven to all below.

Our foes press on from every side;

Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

To Thy great name be endless praise

Immortal Godhead, One in Three;

Oh, grant us endless length of days,

In our true native land with Thee.

Amen.

Verbum Supernum Prodiens is a Catholic hymn by St Thomas Aquinas. It was written for the Hour of Lauds in the Divine Office of Corpus Christi. It is about the institution of the Eucharist by Christ at the Last Supper, and His Passion and death.

The last two verses form a hymn on their own as well, O Salutaris Hostia, which is sung at the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Word descending from above

The Word descending from above,

without leaving the right hand of his Father,

and going forth to do his work,

reached the evening of his life.

When about to be given over

to his enemies by one of his disciples,

to suffer death, he first gave himself

to his disciples as the bread of life.

Under a twofold appearance

he gave them his flesh and his blood;

that he might thus wholly feed us

made up of a twofold substance.

By his birth he gave himself as our companion;

at the Last Supper he gave himself as our food;

dying on the cross he gave himself as our ransom;

reigning in heaven he gives himself as our reward

O salutary Host,

Who expandest the door of the sky,

Hostile wars press.

Give strength; bear aid.

To the Lord One in Three,

May there be sempiternal glory;

May He grant us life without end

In the native land.

English translation.

The heavenly Word proceeding forth

The heavenly Word proceeding forth,

Yet leaving not his Father's side,

And going to His work on Earth,

Has reached at length life's eventide.

By false disciple to be given

To foemen for His blood athirst,

Himself, the living bread from heaven,

He gave to his disciples first.

In twofold form of sacrament,

He gave His flesh, He gave His blood,

That man, of soul and body blent,

Might wholly feed on mystic food.

In birth man's fellow-man was He,

His meat while sitting at the board;

He died, our ransomer to be,

He reigns to be our great reward.

O saving Victim, opening wide

The gates of heaven to man below;

Our foes press hard on every side,

Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

All praise and thanks to thee ascend

For evermore, blessed One in Three;

O grant us life that shall not end,

In our true native land with Thee.

Verse Rendering.

O Salutaris Hostia is from the last two verses of Verbum Supernum, one of the five Eucharistic Hymns written by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) at the request of Pope Urban IV (1261-1264) when the Pope first instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264. The prayer is still used today, often at exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

 Verbum supernum prodiens - Celestial Word, to This Our Earth