Verbum Supernum Prodiens

One of St. Thomas Aquinas' beautiful hymns in honour of the Holy Eucharist

In light of the recent Eucharistic Congress that occurred last week in Indianapolis, I thought it would be fitting to highlight a Eucharistic hymn today. Today’s hymn, Verbum Supernum Prodiens, may not immediately sound familiar even to Catholics; in fact, I was unaware of its existence until I began my research. Most of us are much more familiar with the last two stanzas of this hymn, which are often sung as their own hymn, O Salutaris Hostia.

Verbum Supernum is a six stanza poem written around the year 1264 by St. Thomas Aquinas for the Feast of Corpus Christi. This feast was not celebrated throughout the universal Church until Pope Urban IV issued a papal bull in 1264, thereby establishing the Feast of Corpus Christi in the Roman liturgical calendar. Prior to doing so, Pope Urban had asked the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, to compose the Divine Office and the Mass Propers for the new feast.

Among the hymns that St. Thomas composed for the feast were Lauda Sion (the Sequence for Corpus Christi), Pange Lingua (from which we obtain the shorter hymn Tantum Ergo), Sacris Solemniis (which is often chanted at Benediction in many traditional parishes), Adoro Te Devote (which the Church encourages the faithful to pray in thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion), and Verbum Supernum. Traditionally, Verbum Supernum is chanted at Lauds (morning prayer) on the Feast of Corpus Christi. It has also historically been chanted during Corpus Christi processions.

St. Thomas Aquinas was beautifully poetic and eloquent, even when writing in Latin, and this hymn is no exception. Since at least the last two stanzas are familiar to many Catholics in Latin, I am providing both the original Latin¹ and the English² translation of this hymn in the footnotes. Below is a recording of the traditional chant for Verbum Supernum. I could not find the music for this chant with the words written underneath the neumes (notes), but I encourage you to follow the chant in the image below as you listen to the recording. Each stanza repeats the same three lines of chant, with the last measure of chant indicating the closing “Amen.”

Public domain

1. Original Latin words:

1. Verbum supérnum pródiens
Nec Patris linquens déxteram,
Ad opus suum éxiens,
Venit ad vitæ vésperam.

2. In mortem a discípulo
Suis tradéndus ǽmulis,
Prius in vitæ férculo
Se trádidit discípulis.

3. Quibus sub bina spécie
Carnem dedit et sánguinem,
Ut dúplicis substántiæ
Totum cibáret hóminem.

4. Se nascens dedit sócium,
Convéscens in edúlium,
Se móriens in prétium,
Se regnans dat in prǽmium.

5. O salutáris hóstia,
Quæ cæli pandis óstium,
Bella premunt hostília:
Da robur, fer auxílium.

6. Uni trinóque Dómino
Sit sempitérna glória,
Qui vitam sine término
Nobis donet in pátria.

Amen.

2. English translation from the 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal (Angelus Press):

1. The Word of God proceeding forth,
   Yet leaving not the Father’s side,
   And going to His work on earth,
   Had reached at length life’s eventide.

2. By a disciple to be given
   To rivals for His Blood athirst;
   Himself, the very Bread of heaven,
   He gave to His disciples first.

3. He gave Himself in either kind:
   His precious Flesh, His precious Blood;
   Of flesh and blood is man combined
   And He of man would be the Food.

4. In birth man’s fellow-man was He;
   His Meat while sitting at the board;
   He died, his Ransomer to be;
   He reigns to be his great Reward.

5. O saving Victim, opening wide
   The gate of heaven to man below,
   Our foes press on from every side:
   Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

6. 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.