Sacred Music: O quam suavis est Domine

I’ve come to love the music of Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, a 17th-century Italian nun. Delightful stuff!

Or listen here: http://music.cozzolani.com/track/o-quam-suavis-est-domine

Latin text

O quam suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus, qui ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstrares, pane suavissimo de cælo præstito, esurientes reples bonis, fastitiosos divites dimittens inanes.

Venite, omnes populi esurientes et sitientes, venite, gustate, bibite, comedite, et inebriamini, carissimi.

Venite, qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ille reficiet vos, et confortabit vos.

Quare appenditis argentum non in panibus, et laborem vestrum non in saturitate?

Venite, reficite vos et ambulabitis in fortitudine cibi istius, et non deficietis in via.

O panis angelorum,
O esca viatorum,
O fons deliciarum,
Ad te confugio.
Tu me pasce,
Tu me recrea,
Tu me conforta,
Tu me pasce, me tuere,
Tu me bona fac videre
In terra viventium.

O esca, O sapor, O vita, O esca, O sapor, O suavitas infinita. O esca gentium, O sapor mentium, O vita amantium, quam dulcis es et quam amabilis. Venite et admiramini, et cantate:

Panis angelicus fit cibus hominum,
Dat panis cælicus figuris terminum.
O res mirabilis! manducat Dominum
Pauper servus et humilis.

O res mirabilis, O res mirabilis! Gaudete et cantate et collaudate eum in æternum.

English translation

O Lord, how sweet is Your spirit, who, so as to show Your goodness to Your children in this sweetest bread lent from heaven, fills the empty with good things, sending the haughty away empty.

Come all you hungry and thirsty people, come, taste, drink, eat, and let us become drunk, O dearest ones.

Come, you who labor and are burdened, and He will refresh and comfort you.

Why do you spend your riches for that which is not bread, and you labor for that which does not satisfy?

Come, refresh yourselves and you will walk in the strength of this food, and you will not lack on your journey.

O bread of the angels,
O food of travelers,
O source of delights,
To you I flee.
You feed me,
You restore me,
You comfort me,
You feed me and support me;
You make me see good things
In the land of the living.

O food, O taste, O life, O food, O taste, O infinite sweetness. O food of the peoples, O delicacy of minds, O life of lovers, how sweet and lovable you are. Come and adore, and sing:

The angelic bread becomes the food of humans,
This heavenly bread puts an end to figures.
O wonderful thing! A lowly and humble
Pauper eats the Lord.

O wonderful, lovable thing! Rejoice and sing and praise Him in eternity.