In Memoriam

Bernhard von Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Jesus the Very Thought of Thee

§ 1

Jesus the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast
But sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest 

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest name
O Savior of mandkind

O Hope of every contrite heart
O Joy of all the meek
To those who fall how kind Thou art
How good to those to seek

But what to those who find Ah this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus what it is 
None but His loved ones know

O Jesu Light of all below
Thou Fount of life and fire
Surpassing all the joys we know
And all we can desire

The will I seek at home abroad
Who every where art nigh
Thee in my bosom´s cell O Lord
As on my bed I lie

With Mary to Thy tomb I´ll haste
Before the dawning skies
And all around with longing cast
My soul´s inquiring eyes

Beside Thy grave will make my moan
And sob my heart away
Then at Thy feet sink trambling down
And there adoring stay
Nor from my tears and sighs refrain
Nor Thy dear knees release
My Jesu till from Thee I gain
Some blessed word of peace

§ 2

O Jesu King most wonderful
Thou conqueror renown´d
Thou sweetness most ineffable
in whom all joys are found

Stay with us Lord and with Thy light
illume the soul´s abyss
Scatter the darkness of our night
and fill the world with bliss

When once Thou visitest the heart
Then truth begins to shine
Then earthly vanities depart
Then wakens love divine

Jesu Thy mercies are untold
Through each returning day
Thy love exceeds a thousandfold 
Whatever we can say

That love which in Thy Passion drained
for us Thy precious Blood
Whence with Redemption we have gained
The vision of our God

May every heart confess Thy Name
And ever Thee adore
And seeking Thee itself inflame
To seek Thee more and more

May every soul Thy love return 
And strive to do Thy will
And running in Thine odours learn
To love Thee better still

Thou who hast lov´d me from the womb
Pure source of all my bliss
My only hope of life to come
My happiness in this

Grant me while here on earth I stay
Thy love to feel and know
And when from hence I pass away
To me Thy glory show

And O my Jesu pardon me
Unfit to spaek Thy praise
Yet daring thus for love of Thee
My trembling hymn to raise

§ 3

Jesu the soul hath in Thy love
A food that never cloys
A sacred foretaste from above
Of Paradisal joys

Celestial Sweetness unalloy´d
Who eat Thee hunger still
Who drink Thee yeet feel a void
Which naught but Thou can fill

Thrice happy he who loving Thee
Doth Thy true sweetness know
All else becomes but vanity
Thenceforth to him below

O Jesu Thou the beauty art
Of angel worlds above
Thy Name is music to the heart
Enchanting it with love

For Thee I yearn for Thee I sigh
When wilt Thou come to me
And make me glad eternally
With the blest sight of Thee

O Jesu Love unchangeable
For whom my soul doth pine
O Fruit of life celestial
O Sweetness all divine

O kindness infinite supreme
My joy and true repose
O depth of charity extreme
Which no abatement knows

`Tis good that I my love should give
Save Thee to none beside
And dying to myself should live
for Jesu crucified

O my sweet Jesu hear the sighs
Which unto Thee I send
To Thee mine inmost spirit cries
My being´s hope and end

Thy presence with me I desire
Wherever I may be
This Lord is all that I require
For my felicity

Thy kiss is bliss beyond compare
A bliss for evermore
O that Thy visits were less rare
And not so quickly o´er

§ 4

Now have I gained my long desire
Now what I sought is mine
Now is my heart O Christ of fire
With Thy pure love divine

 Blest fire which no extinction knows
Which never flags or fails
But greater still and greater grows
And more and more prevails

Blest love which flows eternally
With wondrous sweetness fraught 
Which tasteth most delightfully
Beyond the reach of thought 

This fire this love are now my own 
And to my vitals cleave
And through mine inmost marrow run 
And in my bosom heave

O joy O ecstasy of bliss
More felt than understood
What pleasure can compare with this 
To love the Son of God

O Jesu spotless virgin flower
Our love and joy To Thee
Be praise beatitude and power 
Through all eternity

Come O Thou King of boundless might 
Come Majesty adored
Come and illume me with Thy light 
My long expected Lord

O fairest of the sons of day
More fragant than the rose
O brighter than the dazzling ray
That in the sunbeam glows

O Thou whose love alone is all
That mortal can desire 
Whose image does my heart enthrall
And with delight inspire

Jesu my only joy be Thou
As Thou my prize wilt be
Jesu be Thou my glory now
My hope my victory

§ 5

O Thou in whom my love doth find 
Its rest and perfect end
O Jesus Saviour of mankind 
And their eternal friend

Return return pure Light of Light
To Thy dread throne again
Go forth victorious from the fight 
And in Thy glory reign

Lead where Thou wilt I fellow Thee
And will not stay behind
For Thou hast torn my heart from me
O Glory of our kind

Ye Heav´ns your gates eternal raise
Come forth to meet your King
Come forth with joy and sing His praise 
His praise eternal sing

O King of glory King of might
From whom all graces come
O beauty honour infinite
Of our celestial home

O Fount of mercy Lighe of Heaven
Our darkness cast away
And grant us all through Thee forgiven
To see the perfect day

Hark how the Heav´ns with praise o´erflow
O priceless gift of blood
Jesus makes glad the world below
And gains us peace with God

in peace He reigns that peace divine
For mortal sense too high
That peace for which my soul doth pine
To which it longs to fly

Christ to His Father is returned
And sits upon His throne
For Him my panting heart hath yearned
And after Him is gone

To Him praise glory without end
And adoration be
O Jesu grant us to ascend
And reign in Heav´n with Thee

Bernhard von Clairvaux  [1090-1153], Jesus the Very Thought of Thee
Translated by Edward Caswall  [1814-1878]