O Memoriale Mortis Domini

Painting by A.N. Mironov - Courtesy of Wikipedia

O Memoriale Mortis Domini is an extract of the well known hymn written in honour of the Blessed Sacrament: Adoro Te Devote, by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). It is sung at Vespers (Evening Prayer) on Holy Thursday.

Motet by Palestrina (1524 - 1594)

O MEMORIALE MORTIS DOMINI

1. O memoriale mortis Domini!
panis vivus, vitam praestans homini!
praesta meae menti de te vivere
et te illi semper dulce sapere.

2. Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine,
me immundum munda tuo sanguine;
cuius una stilla salvum facere
totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

3. Te cum revelata cernam facie,
visu tandem laetus tuae gloriae;
Patri, tibi laudes et Spiritui,
dicam beatorum iunctus coetui. Amen.