Adoro Te Devote
1. Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas;
Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit,
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit.
2. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur;
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius,
Nil hoc verbo veritatis verius.
3. In Cruce latebat sola Deitas.
At hic latet simul et humanitas:
Ambo tamen credens, atque confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.
4. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor,
Deum tamen meum te confiteor:
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.
5. O memoriale mortis Domini,
Panis vivus vitam praestans homini:
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.
6. Pie pellicane Iesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo Sanguine:
Cuius una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.
7. Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro, fiat illud, quod tam sitio,
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae.
Amen.
Click here for an English translation.
This is a hymn used to express our deepest faith in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It is frequently used during Benediction or Adoration, or sung during processions. Even today in the Catholic Church this hymn is widely known and used frequently.
Verse 6 requires a bit of explanation. The ancients believed that the pelican had the peculiar behavior of feeding her own flesh to her offspring if no food were available. Even though science has since disproven this myth, nevertheless the very idea of such behavior immediately reminded Catholics of Our Lord, Who is very real, regardless of the truth of the pelican belief. Fact or fiction, it still presents us with a very vivid image, which was truly played out in the case of Our Lord. He delivered up his own Body to save us from death -- and continually gives us His Flesh that we might have life.
There are many translations available in English, some favor the rhythm and rhyme while others stick to the literal meaning (as is the case with any translation). The translation available on ChantCd.com is easy to recite or sing, and has most of the meaning intact.
This is found on the following CD(s):
Chant Compendium 1.
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