Wondrous change! restrained by love
    Lions the mild lamb obey: 
  Eagles wild, before the dove
    Fluttering from the stars above,
  Speed o’er cloudy winds away.

  Thou, O Christ, my Dove dost reign
    Where the vulture gnaws no more: 
  Thou dost, snow-white Lamb, enchain
    Tigers fierce, and wolves restrain
  Gaping at the sheepfold’s door.

  God of Love, Thy servants we
    Pray Thee now to grant our prayer
  That our feast may frugal be,
    Nor that we dishonour Thee
  By coarse surfeit of rich fare.

  May we taste no bitter gall
    In our cup, nor handle we
  Aught of death or harm at all,
    Nor intemperately fall
  Into gross debauchery.

  Be the powers of Hell content
    With their primal fraud, whereby
  Death into this world was sent,
    And that, for sin’s chastisement,
  God’s own creatures once should die.

  But in us God’s Breath of fire
    Cannot lose its vital force: 
  Never can its might expire,
    Flowing from the Eternal Sire,
  Who of Reason’s strength is source.

  Nay, from out death’s chilling tomb
    Mortal atoms shall arise: 
  Man from earth’s vast, hidden womb
    Other, yet the same, shall bloom,
  Dust re-made in glorious guise.

  ’Tis my faith—­and faith not vain—­
    Bodies live e’en as the soul: 
  Since I hold in memory plain
    God as man uprose again,
  Loosed from Hell, to His true goal.

  Whence from Him the hope I reap
    That these limbs the same shall rise,
  Which enwrapped in balmy sleep
    Christ the Risen safe shall keep
  Till He call me to the skies.

IV.  HYMNUS post cibum

    Pastis visceribus ciboque sumpto,
  quem lex corporis inbecilla poscit,
  laudem lingua Deo patri rependat;
    Patri, qui Cherubin sedile sacrum,
  nec non et Seraphin suum supremo 5
  subnixus solio tenet regitque.

    Hic est, quem Sabaoth Deum vocamus,
  expers principii carensque fine,
  rerum conditor et repertor orbis: 
    fons vitae liquida fluens ab arce, 10
  infusor fidei, sator pudoris,
  mortis perdomitor, salutis auctor.

    Omnes quod sumus aut vigemus, inde est: 
  regnat Spiritus ille sempiternus
  a Christo simul et Parente missus. 15
    Intrat pectora candidus pudica,
  quae templi vice consecrata rident,
  postquam conbiberint Deum medullis.

    Sed si quid vitii dolive nasci
  inter viscera iam dicata sensit, 20
  ceu spurcum refugit celer sacellum. 
    Taetrum flagrat enim vapore crasso
  horror conscius aestuante culpa
  offensumque bonum niger repellit.

    Nec solus pudor innocensve votum 25
  templum constituunt perenne Christo
  in cordis medii sum ac recessu: 
    sed ne crapula ferveat cavendum est,
  quae sedem fidei cibis refertam
  usque ad congeriem coartet intus. 30