This concept comes originally from St John's Gospel, in which Jesus says: "unless you, eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life in you". This confused some disciples and many centuries of scholars. Finally 12th Century experts described the process of consuming the bread and wine at communion as transubstantiation. This Christian sacrament is called the Eucharist. In honour of this mystical ritual, St Thomas Aquinas composed some hymns and one of which contains the words of - you've guessed it - Panis Angelicus.
Panis angelicus fit panis hominum;
Dat panis coelicus figuris terminum.
O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum
Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis.
The bread of angels becomes the bread of man;
This bread of heaven does away with symbols.
What a marvel! The poor, the servant and the humble
May feed on their Lord.
I well know Latin but I did not think about translation when listening to hymn the first time. It happens when we adjoin to pure Beauty for an instant. In sacred music, I believe this is the deep well of the Spirit. And immersing in this well make the cords of the heart vibrate.
O res mirabilis!
Here is a duet performance by the great tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, and Sting:
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