Hymns of the Early Church / being translations from the poetry of the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian year

by John Brownlie

Ah! great the price, that price was paid,

By Him on whom the debt was laid.

PANGE, LINGUA, GLORIOSI, PRŒLIUM CERTAMINIS

This, “one of the first of the Latin mediæval hymns,” has been credited to St. Hilary. It has also been ascribed to Claudianus Mamertus, who died in 474. But by the majority of authorities it is regarded as the composition of Fortunatus, and ranks next to the Vexilla Regis prodeunt in their estimate. A rendering of it by Keble will be found in his “Miscellaneous Poems,” beginning, “Sing, my tongue, of glorious warfare,” which is Dr. Neale’s “Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle,” in a somewhat altered form.

I

Tell, my tongue, the glorious conflict,

Crowned with victory nobly won;—

More than all the spoil of battle,

Praise the triumph of God’s Son;

How by death the crown of conquest