Franck: Panis Angelicus
James Judd / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Julian Lloyd Webber Lyrics

"Panis Angelicus" is a Latin hymn that was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi. The hymn is about the Holy Eucharist, the belief that bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during the Catholic Mass. The song starts by stating that the bread that angels eat (panis angelicus) becomes bread for mankind (fit panis hominum). The second line continues this thought by expressing that humans consume the bread of heaven (dat panis coelicus), which imposes a limit to what is visible or tangible (figures terminum).

The second part of the hymn describes the profound wonder of this experience and how it transcends social class. The lyric "O res mirabilis" means "O marvelous thing!" or "O wondrous mystery!" in English. The fourth line, "Manducat Dominum," translates to "The Lord eats," which refers to the consumption of the communion host by the celebrant of the Mass. The final two lines of the hymn voice a supplication to God, saying "poor and lowly" servants desire to "nurture [their] hearts" with the body and blood of Christ.