Sion Lift Thy Voice and Sing

(Sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christi)

Sion, lift thy voice and sing: 
Praise thy Savior and thy King; 
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true:
Dare thy most to praise Him well; 
For He doth all praise excel; 
None can ever reach His due. 
Special theme of praise is thine, 
That true living Bread divine, 
That life-giving flesh adored, 
Which the brethren twelve received, 
As most faithfully believed, 
At the Supper of the Lord.

Let the chant be loud and high;
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast; 
On this festival divine 
Which recounts the origin 
Of the glorious Eucharist.

At this table of the King, 
Our new Paschal offering 
Brings to end the olden rite; 
Here, for empty shadows fled, 
Is reality instead; 
Here, instead of darkness, light.

His own act, at supper seated, 
Christ ordained to be repeated, 
In His memory divine; 
Wherefore now, with adoration, 
We the Host of our salvation 
Consecrate from bread and wine.

Hear what holy Church maintaineth, 
That the bread its substance changeth 
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood. 
Doth it pass thy comprehending? 
Faith, the law of sight transcending, 
Leaps to things not understood.

Here in outward signs are hidden 
Priceless things, to sense forbidden; 
Signs, not things, are all we see:- 
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine; 
Yet is Christ, in either sign, 
All entire confessed to be.

They too who of Him partake 
Sever not, nor rend, nor break, 
But entire their Lord receive. 
Whether one or thousands eat, 
All receive the selfsame meat, 
Nor the less for others leave.

Both the wicked and the good 
Eat of this celestial Food; 
But with ends how opposite! 
Here 'tis life; and there 'tis death; 
The same, yet issuing to each 
In a difference infinite.

Nor a single doubt retain,
When they break the Host in twain,
But that in each part remains
What was in the whole before;
Since the simple sign alone
Suffers change in state or form,
The Signified remaining One
And the Same forevermore

Lo! upon the Altar lies, 
Hidden deep from human eyes, 
Angels' Bread from Paradise 
Made the food of mortal man: 
Children's meat to dogs denied; 
In old types foresignified; 
In the manna from the skies, 
In Isaac, and the Paschal Lamb.

Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Thy true flock in safety keep.
Living Bread! Thy life supply;
Strengthen us, or else we die;
Fill us with celestial grace:
Thou, who feedest us below!
Source of all we have or know!
Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Sitting at the Feast of Love,
We may see Thee face to face. 
Amen

Latin Text

Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem

I. Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem, 
Lauda ducem et pastorem 
In hymnis et canticis. 
Quantum poses, tantum aude: 
Quia major omni laude 
Nec laudare sufficis.

2. Laudis thema specialis, 
Panis vivus et vitalis 
Hodie proponitur; 
Quem in sacrae mensa coenae 
Turbae fratrum duodenae 
Datum non ambigitur.

3. Sit laus plena, sit sonora,
Sit iucunda, sit decora
Mentis iubilatio. 
Dies enim solemnis agitur, 
In qua mensae prima recolitur 
Huius institutio.

4. In hac mensa novi Regis 
Novum Pascha novae legis 
Phase vetus terminat. 
Vetustatem novitas, 
Umbram fugat veritas, 
Noctem lux eliminat.

5. Quod in coena Christus gessit,
Faciendum hoc expressit
In sui memoriam
Docti sacris institutis,
Panem, vinum in salutis
Consecramus hostiam.

6. Dogma datur Christianis, 
Quod in carnem transit panis 
Et vinum in sanguinem. 
Quod non capis, quod non vides, 
Animosa firmat fides 
Praeter rerum ordinem.

7. Sub diversis speciebus, 
Signis tantum, et non rebus, 
Latent res eximiae: 
Caro cibus, sanguis potus; 
Manet tamen Christus totus 
Sub utraque specie.

8. A sumente non concisus, 
Non confractus, non divisus 
Integer accipitur. 
Sumit unus, sumunt mille; 
Quantum isti, tantum ille: 
Nec sumptus consumitur. 
Sorte tamen inaequali, 
Vitae vel interitus. 
Mors est malis, vita bonis: 
Vide, paris sumptionis 
Quam sit dispar exitus.

10. Fracto demum Sacramento, 
Ne vacilles, sed memento, 
Tantam esse sub fragmento, 
Quantum toto tegitur. 
Nulla rei fit scissura, 
Signi tantum fit fractura, 
Qua nec status nec statura 
Signati minuitur.

11. Ecce panis Angelorum, 
Factus cibus viatorum, 
Vere panis filiorum, 
Non mittendus canibus. 
In figuris praesignatur, 
Cum Isaac immolatur; 
Agnus Paschae deputatur, 
Datur manna patribus.

12. Bone Pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserere,
Tu nos pasce, nos tuere,
Tu nos bona fac videre,
In terra viventium.
Tu, qui cuncta scis et vales,
Qui nos pascis hic mortales,
Tuos ibi commensales,
Cohaeredes et sodales,
Fac sanctorum civium. 
Amen