“Panis Angelicus” (“Bread of Angels”) is a verse from a Eucharistic hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas, praising the wonder that the Bread of Angels, Christ himself, becomes food for poor and humble human beings. It is the next-to-last stanza of his hymn Sacris solemniis, written for the feast of Corpus Christi, and it became world-famous through César Franck’s musical setting of 1872. Below is the Latin text, a literal translation, a nineteenth-century verse translation, what it means, and when it is sung.
The Latin text
The two closing stanzas of Sacris solemniis, as printed in A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity (1888):
Panis Angelicus fit panis hominum:
Dat panis coelicus 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.
A literal translation
Our line-by-line translation:
The bread of angels becomes the bread of men;
the bread of heaven puts an end to the figures of old.
O wondrous thing! The poor, the servant and the lowly
feed upon their Lord.
Thee, God, Three and One, we beseech:
visit us, as we worship thee;
by thy paths lead us where we are going,
to the light in which thou dwellest. Amen.
The 1888 verse translation
The rhymed English version printed alongside the Latin in the same prayer book:
O! Angels’ Bread is made
The Bread of mortal man;
Shows forth this heavenly Bread
The ends which types began;
O wondrous boon indeed!
Upon his Lord now can
A poor and humble servant feed!
Thee, Deity Triune
Yet One, we meekly pray
O visit us right soon,
As we our homage pay;
And in Thy footsteps bright
Conduct us on our way
To where Thou dwell’st in cloudless light. Amen.
What the words mean
- “Bread of angels”: the Psalms call the manna in the desert “the bread of angels” (Psalm 77:25). Aquinas applies the title to the Eucharist: Christ, who is the joy of the angels, becomes our food.
- “Puts an end to the figures”: the manna and the Passover lamb were figures (foreshadowings); now the reality has come.
- “The poor, the servant and the lowly”: the greatest gift is given to the least. Anyone may receive the Lord, however poor.
- The final stanza turns to the Holy Trinity, asking God to visit us and lead us to his eternal light.
See Corpus Christi and who can receive Communion.
History
St. Thomas Aquinas composed the Office for the feast of Corpus Christi around 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV. Sacris solemniis was the hymn for Matins (the night office). Several of its stanzas were later set to music separately; the Panis angelicus verse is the most famous. César Franck set it for tenor, organ, harp, cello and double bass in 1872 and added it to his Messe à trois voix. It is now sung at Masses, weddings, funerals and concerts around the world.
When is it sung?
- At Communion, especially at weddings and First Communions.
- On Corpus Christi and Holy Thursday.
- At Eucharistic adoration and Benediction. See Eucharistic adoration prayers.
- At funerals, as a prayer of hope in the Bread of eternal life.
Frequently asked questions
What does Panis Angelicus mean?
“Bread of Angels,” a title for the Eucharist.
Who wrote Panis Angelicus?
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the words (about 1264); César Franck wrote the most famous music (1872).
Is Panis Angelicus appropriate for a wedding?
Yes. It is a Eucharistic hymn often sung at Communion during the Nuptial Mass. See the Catholic wedding guide.
More Eucharistic hymns
- Psalm 78 (the bread of angels)
- Catholic hymns: lyrics and meaning
- Adoro Te Devote
- Pange Lingua
- Tantum Ergo and O Salutaris
- Ave Verum Corpus
- Litany of the Blessed Sacrament
- Corpus Christi
Texts and sources
- Latin and verse translation: A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity (1888), Hymns and Sequences, public domain (archive.org). Scan corrections are listed in our text log.
- The literal translation is our own.
- Scripture: Psalm 77:25 (78:25), Douay-Rheims.