Pastis visceribus ciboque sumpto,

quem lex corporis inbecilla poscit,

laudem lingua Deo patri rependat;

Patri, qui Cherubin sedile sacrum,

  5nec non et Seraphin suum supremo

subnixus solio tenet regitque.

Hic est, quem Sabaoth Deum vocamus,

expers principii carensque fine,

rerum conditor et repertor orbis:

  10fons vitae liquida fluens ab arce,

infusor fidei, sator pudoris,

mortis perdomitor, salutis auctor.

Omnes quod sumus aut vigemus, inde est:

regnat Spiritus ille sempiternus

  15a Christo simul et Parente missus.

Intrat pectora candidus pudica,

quae templi vice consecrata rident,

postquam conbiberint Deum medullis.

Sed si quid vitii dolive nasci

  20inter viscera iam dicata sensit,

ceu spurcum refugit celer sacellum.

Taetrum flagrat enim vapore crasso

horror conscius aestuante culpa

offensumque bonum niger repellit.

  25Nec solus pudor innocensve votum

templum constituunt perenne Christo

in cordis medii sum ac recessu:

sed ne crapula ferveat cavendum est,

quae sedem fidei cibis refertam

  30usque ad congeriem coartet intus.

Parcis victibus expedita corda

infusum melius Deum receptant.

Hic pastus animae est, saporque verus:

sed nos tu gemino fovens paratu

  35artus atque animas utroque pastu

confirmas Pater ac vigore conples.

Sic olim tua praecluens potestas

inter raucisonos situm leones,

inlapsis dapibus virum refovit.

  40Illum fusile numen execrantem

et curvare caput sub expolita

aeris materia nefas putantem

Plebs dirae Babylonis ac tyrannus

morti subdiderant, feris dicarant

  45saevis protinus haustibus vorandum.

O semper pietas fidesque tuta!

lambunt indomiti virum leones

intactumque Dei tremunt alumnum.

Adstant cominus et iubas reponunt,

  50mansuescit rabies fameque blanda

praedam rictibus ambit incruentis.

Sed cum tenderet ad superna palmas

expertumque sibi Deum rogaret,

clausus iugiter indigensque victu:

  55Iussus nuntius advolare terris,

qui pastum famulo daret probato,

raptim desilit obsequente mundo.

Cernit forte procul dapes inemptas,

quas messoribus Abbacuc propheta

  60agresti bonus exhibebat arte.

Huius caesarie manu prehensa

plenis, sicut erat, gravem canistris

suspensum rapit et vehit per auras.

Tum raptus simul ipse prandiumque

  65sensim labitur in lacum leonum,

et, quas tunc epulas gerebat, offert:

Sumas laetus, ait, libensque carpas,

quae summus Pater, angelusque Christi

mittunt liba tibi sub hoc periclo.

  70His sumptis Danielus excitavit

in caelum faciem ciboque fortis

Amen reddidit, Halleluia dixit.

Sic nos muneribus tuis refecti,

largitor Deus omnium bonorum,

  75grates reddimus et sacramus hymnos.

Tu nos tristifico velut tyranno

mundi scilicet inpotentis actu

conclusos regis et feram repellis,

Quae circumfremit ac vorare temptat

  80insanos acuens furore dentes,

cur te, summe Deus, precemur unum.

Vexamur, premimur, malis rotamur;

oderunt, lacerant, trahunt, lacessunt,

iuncta est suppliciis fides iniquis.

  85Nec defit tamen anxiis medela;

nam languente trucis leonis ira

inlapsae superingeruntur escae.

Quas si quis sitienter hauriendo

non gustu tenui, sed ore pleno

  90internis velit inplicare venis,

Hic sancto satiatus ex propheta,

iustorum capiet cibos virorum,

qui fructum domino metunt perenni.

Nil est dulcius ac magis saporum,

  95nil quod plus hominem iuvare possit,

quam vatis pia praecinentis orsa.

His sumptis licet insolens potestas

pravum iudicet, inrogetque mortem,

inpasti licet inruant leones,

  100nos semper Dominum patrem fatentes

in te, Christe Deus, loquemur unum

constanterque tuam crucem feremus.

Refreshed we rise, and for this bread that feeds,

By law of man's weak flesh, our daily needs,

Let every tongue, the Father's praises sing;

The Father Who on His exalted throne,

O'er Cherubim and Seraphim, alone

Reigns in His majesty, Eternal King.

God of Sabaoth is His name: 'tis He

Who ne'er began and ne'er shall cease to be,

Builder of worlds created at His word;

Fountain of Life that flows from out the sky,

He breathes within us Faith and Purity,

Great Conqueror of Death, Salvation's Lord.

From Him each creature life and vigour gains,

And over all the Eternal Spirit reigns

Who cometh from the Father and the Son:

When, dovelike, on pure hearts the heavenly Guest

Descends, they are by God's own presence blest,

As temples where His holy work is done.

But if the taint of vice or guile arise

Within the consecrated shrine, He flies

With speed from out the sin-defilèd cell;

For, driven forth by guilt's black, surging tide,

The offended Godhead may not there abide

Where conscious sin and noisome foulness dwell.

Not chastity nor childlike faith alone

Build up for Christ an everlasting throne

Deep in the inmost heart, devoid of shame:

But watchful ever must His servants be,

Lest the dark power of sated gluttony

Should bind about the abode of faith its chain.

Yet simple saints, content with frugal fare,

More surely find the Spirit present there,

Who is our soul's true strength and heavenly food:

Thy love for us a twofold feast supplies,

O Father, whence the soul may strengthened rise

And eke the body gain new hardihood.

Thus, fed and sheltered by Thy matchless might,

The lions' hideous roar could not affright

Thy loyal servant in the days of old:

He boldly cursed the molten deity

And stood with stubborn head uplifted high

That scorned to bow before a god of gold.

Then Babylon's vile mob with fury glows;

Death is his doom; and straight the tyrant throws

The youth to be his savage lions' prey:

But faith and piety Thou still dost save,

For lo! the untamed brutes no longer rave,

But round God's unscathed child they gently play.

Close by his side they stand with drooping mane,

The grisly, gaping jaws from blood refrain

And with rough tongues their whilom prey caress:

But when in prayer he raised his hands to heaven

And called the God, from Whom such help was given,

Close-prisoned, hungry, and in sore distress,

A wingèd messenger to earth He sends,

Who swiftly through the parting clouds descends

To feed His servant, proven by the test:

By chance he sees from far the unbought fare

Which the good seer Habakkuk's kindly care

With rustic art had for the reapers dressed:

Then, grasping in strong hand the prophet's hair,

He bears him gently through the rushing air,

Still burdened with the platter's savoury load,

Till o'er the lions' den at last they stayed

And straightway to the starving youth displayed

The food thus brought, by God's good grace bestowed.

"Take this with joy," he said, "and thankful feed,

The bread that in thy hour of direst need,

By the great Father sent, Christ's angel brings."

Then Daniel lifts his eyes to heaven above

And, strengthened by the wondrous gift of love,

"Amen!" he cries, and Alleluia sings.

Thus, therefore, by Thy bounties now restored,

Giver of all things good, Almighty Lord,

We render thanks and sing glad hymns to Thee:

Though prisoned in an evil world we dwell

Where sin's grim tyrant rules, Thou dost repel

With sovran power our mortal enemy.

He roars around us, and would fain devour,

Grinding his angry teeth when 'gainst his power

In Thee alone, O God, we still confide:

By evil things we are beset and vexed,

Tormented, hated, harassed and perplexed,

Our faith by cruel suffering sorely tried,

Yet help ne'er fails us in our time of need,

For Thou canst quell the lions' rage, and feed

Our hungry spirits with celestial fare:

And if some soul no meagre taste would gain

Of that repast, but thirstily is fain

Full measure of the heavenly sweets to share,

He by the holy seers of old is fed,

And shall partake the loyal reapers' bread

Who labour in the eternal Master's field:

For nothing sweeter than the Word can be

That fell from righteous lips, once touched by Thee,

And nought can richer grace to mortals yield.

With this sustained, though vaunting tyranny

By unjust judgment doom us straight to die,

And starvèd lions rush these limbs to tear;

Confessing ever Thine Eternal Son,

With Thee, Almighty Father, ever one,

His cross with faith unshaken will we bear.