English "O dearest Jesus" Written 1630 (1630) Language German | Meter 11.11.11.5 | |
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"Herzliebster Jesu" (often translated into English as "Ah, Holy Jesus", sometimes as "O Dearest Jesus") is a German hymn for Passiontide, written in 1630 by Johann Heermann, in 15 stanzas of 4 lines, first published in Devoti Musica Cordis in Breslau. As the original headline reveals, it is based on Augustine of Hippo; this means the seventh chapter of the so-called "Meditationes Divi Augustini", presently ascribed to John of Fécamp. Its tune, also called "Herzliebster Jesu", was written ten years later by Johann Crüger and first appeared in Crüger's Neues vollkömmliches Gesangbuch Augsburgischer Confession.
The tune has been arranged many times, including settings by J.S. Bach: one of the Neumeister Chorales for organ, BWV 1093, two movements of the St John Passion, and the St Matthew Passion. Johannes Brahms used it for one of his Eleven Chorale Preludes for organ, Op. 122: No. 2.). Max Reger's Passion, No. 4 from his organ pieces Sieben Stücke, Op. 145 (1915–1916), uses this melody.
Translations
The most common English translation of this hymn was written by Robert Bridges in 1897 and begins with the first line "Ah, holy Jesus, how has thou offended?" However, several Lutheran hymnals use a translation written in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth which begins "O dearest Jesus, what law hast thou broken?" An alternative translation in modern English from the Choral Niagara website is also shown below for comparison.