Ave verum corpus

The Elevation of the Host

A short Eucharistic hymn dating from the 14th century and attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d 1362). During the Middle Ages it was sung at the elevation of the Host during the consecration. It was also used frequently during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Settings by composers

Gregorian Chant, unison Johann Sebastian Bach, contrafactum of BWV 147. SATB & orchestra Giulio Bentivoglio SSA & ATB Mel Bonis, SATB Luigi Bordèse, SA, piano or organ Dominico Brunetti, SSAATTB or SAATTBB, a cappella William Byrd, ATBB or SATB, a cappella Giacomo Carissimi, SATB Jean de Castro, ST, a cappella Ottavio Catalani, SSATB or AATTB Marc-Antoine Charpentier H 266, T solo with ensemble H 329, SSB with ensemble Jacobus Clemens non Papa SATTB (through "…examine."} Antonio Cosimetti, SSAATTBB Christoph Dalitz, SSA, TTB, or SATB, organ Frédéric Debons SAB Johan De Wael, SATB, a cappella or organ Michael J. Drake, Jr., SATB, a capella Edward Elgar, SATB with soprano solo, organ Gabriel Fauré, SA or TB, organ Mariano Garau SAB 1993, a cappella SATB 1999 SATB 2011, a cappella Charles H. Giffen, SSATBB, a cappella

Charles Gounod (disambiguation page) SATB (E-flat, C-slash) with organ CG 557 (G major, C), S or T solo, organ Chants sacrés, contains 3 settings for solo voice and organ CG 92 (a minor, 3/4, S or T solo, organ (B-flat, 3/4) (C major, C) Motets, contains an F major 3/4 setting for 2 voices and organ Alexandre Guilmant, SATB, organ Georges Guiraud, SB with organ Josquin des Prez à 3, SAT, a cappella à 5, SATTB, a cappella Charles Hiestand, SATB, a cappella Torben Klaes, SATB, basso continuo Jehan L'Heritier, SATBB or STTBB, a cappella Orlando di Lasso, SSATTB, a cappella Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens B solo, and organ TTBB, and organ Franz Liszt, SATB, a cappella Gonçalo Lourenço, SAATTBB, a cappella Nycholas Maia, SATB, a cappella Jorge Moreira, SATB, a cappella Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, SATB (also SSAA, TTBB arrangements), strings and organ continuo Michael J. Oczko, SATB with solo soprano, a cappella Paolo Pandolfo, SATB, organ Susan Partlan, SATB, a cappella Robert Lucas de Pearsall, SATB, a cappella Francisco de Peñalosa, SATB, a cappella

Lorenzo Perosi, AB, organ Pascal Picard SATB SSAATTBB Peter Philips, SSATB, a cappella Francis Poulenc, SSA, a cappella Josef Rheinberger, SATB, a cappella Gene Ryan, SATB, a cappella Camille Saint-Saëns in D major for SSAA in E-flat for SATB, a cappella Oscar Santos, SSATB Fábio Soldá, SATB, string ensemble or piano Jef Tinel, SATB Enrico Vercesi, SATB, string quartet, oboe Ludovico da Viadana, TTBB, a cappella Samuel Webbe, SA, organ Gaspar van Weerbeke First setting, SATB Second part of Verbum caro factum est, SATB

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Jacques-Louis Battmann — Ave verum
• Ernest Chausson — Ave verum, Op. 6, No. 2
• Richard Dering — Ave verum corpus
• Anne-Marie Forbes — Ave verum
• Tomoya Furukawa — Ave verum corpus
• Giulio Cesare Gabussi — Ave verum corpus
• Mariano Garau — Ave verum 2017
• Mariano Garau — Ave verum 2020
• Mariano Garau — Ave verum 2020 SAB
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum III
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 104
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 142
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 155
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 84a
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 85a1
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 85a2
• Charles Gounod — Ave verum, CG 93
• Antonio Grimaldi — Ave Verum (Unissimo)
• Antonio Grimaldi — Ave verum no. 2
• Oliver Hayes — Irish Ave verum
• Bernard Hellebusch — Ave verum No. 2
• Bernard Hellebusch — Ave verum No. 3
• Charles Hiestand — Ave verum corpus
• Georges Jouanneau — Ave verum corpus
• Firmin Lebel — Ave verum
• Giovanni Battista Martini — Ave verum
• Jorge Moreira — Ave verum corpus
• P. Schuerer O.S.F. — Ave verum
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Io son ferito
• Louis Di Rocco — Ave verum
• Kathryn Rose — Ave verum corpus
• Gioachino Rossini — Ave verum
• Gene Ryan — Ave verum
• Camille Saint-Saëns — Ave verum à 2 voix égales
• Christoph Straus — Ave verum corpus a 8
• Franciszek Walczyński — Ave verum corpus

Text and translations

A number of variants of the hymn exist, as indicated.

Latin text Ave, verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine: vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine: cuius latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine: esto nobis praegustatum, in mortis examine. O Jesu dulcis, O Jesu pie, O Jesu Fili Mariae. Miserere mei. Amen. (Liber Usualis)

Variant text or corpus Christi natum or ex Maria or unda fluxit [et] sanguine: or mortis in examine. or O dulcis, O pie, O Jesu, Fili Mariae. O clemens, O pie, O dulcis Jesu, Fili Mariae. or Tu nobis miserere mei. Amen.

English translation Hail the true body, born of/from the Virgin Mary: You who truly suffered and were sacrificed on the cross for the sake of man. From whose pierced flank flowed water and blood: Be a foretaste for us in the trial of death. [O sweet, O merciful, O Jesus, Son of Mary.] [Have mercy on me. Amen.]

Metrical translation I   Jesu, Word of God Incarnate, of the virgin Mary born, On the cross thy sacred body for us men with nails was torn [suffered death and cruel scorn] Cleanse us, by thy blood and water Streaming from thy pierced side; Feed us with thy body broken, Now in death's agony! O Jesu, hear us Son of Mary.

Metrical translation II   Jesu, Lamb of God, Redeemer, born the virgin Mary's Son, who upon the cross a victim hast man's salvation won. From whose side, which man had pierced flow'd the water and the blood, by thy sacred body broken, Be in life and death our food. O Jesu, be in life and death our food

Portuguese translation Ó verdadeiro corpo do Senhor, nascido para nós da virgem Maria. Que sofreu e foi imolado na cruz pelos homens, de cujo lado perfurado jorra sangue e água. Deixai-nos saborear-vos na hora da nossa morte.

Alternative translation   Salve o verdadeiro corpo nascido da virgem Maria verdadeiramente sofrido e imolado na cruz pelo bem dos homens cujo flanco perfurado manou água e sangue Sejai para nós a primeira prova da experiência da morte.

Spanish translation Salve, verdadero cuerpo, nacido de María Virgen, que fue inmolado en la cruz por los hombres, cuyo lado perforado manó sangre y agua, dejanos degustarte en el trance de la muerte. Dutch translation Die voor de mensheid waarachtig geleden heeft en aan het kruis geslagen is Wiens zijde doorboord is, waaruit bloed heeft gestroomd Degene die voor ons de beproeving van de dood heeft gesmaakt

French translation Salut vrai corps né de la vierge Marie Qui est mort et a été immolé pour les hommes, Dont le côté a été percé et d'où a jailli l'eau et le sang. Sois pour nous un avant-goût de l'heure de notre mort. German translation Gruß dir, wahrer Leib, geboren aus Marias reinem Schoß! Heimzuführen, was verloren, trugst du Kreuz und Todeslos. Von der speerdurchbohrten Seite flossen Blut und Wasser rot. Sei uns Vorgeschmack im Streite, Himmelskraft in Sterbensnot! by Peter Gerloff

Polish translation

Bądź pozdrowione prawdziwe Ciało,
Narodzone z Maryi Dziewicy,
Które prawdziwie cierpiało
W ofierze na krzyżu za człowieka.
Jego bok przebity opłynął krwią i wodą,
Abyśmy go zakosztowali podczas sądu w godzinę śmierci.
O Jezu słodki!
O Jezu, łaskawy!
O Jezu synu Maryi.

Hungarian translation

Üdvözlégy, igazi Test,
ki Szűz Máriától születtél,
valóságosan szenvedtél s feláldoztattál
a keresztfán az emberért!

Kinek átvert oldalából
víz és vér folyt,
Add, hogy téged ízlelhessünk
halálunk megpróbáltatásában is!

Ó édes, ó kegyes, ó Mária Fia, Jézus,
irgalmazz nekem! Amen.

External links

• Get a free IPA transcription of this text.
• German text, adapted to Mozart's music