1000 Songs/Jesus thou joy of loving hearts (Bernard of Clairvaux)

Jesus thou joy of loving hearts (Bernard of Clairvaux)

1000 Songs

Author
The text of “Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts” was strongly influenced by the poem Jesu,dulcis memoria attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux who lived from 1090 to 1153.

Translations/Challenges
“Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts” was originally written in Latin and was based off the Latin poem, “Jesu, dulcis memoria”. Dr. Ray Palmer made the first English translation of the text in 1858. In 1876, Dr. Palmer published a translation of the text in his book called The Poetical Works of Ray Palmer. Dr. Palmer made a free paraphrase of the text, so some would argue that today’s English version of the hymn was written by him. The text serves as a prayer to Jesus celebrating the Joy of his peace and continual presence.

Editor's Choice
See full text here.

Tune
The music used for this hymn was first composed in 1854 and is known as the Hesperus tune. It was first published in 1866 and was found in A Hymnal for Use in the English Church. This text and tune are still commonly found in many modern hymn books used today.

Editor's Choice
Listen to the tune here.

See sheet music here.

Author biography
Bernard of Clairvaux lived from circa 1091 to 1153. He was a very influential man to the Roman Catholic Church. The Second Crusade is said to have been inspired by his preaching. The life of Bernard of Clairvaux in general consisted of a deep devotion to the church.

Author's circumstances
Bernard of Clairvaux was born in France to a very wealthy family. His mother made sure to teach him the importance of the values of love and affection for others. His mother died when he was only seventeen years old. Upon her death, Bernard felt the call to dive deeper in to his study of the bible and theology. He became a very influential figure for the church and was essential to the establishment of several monasteries. Many of his works and accomplishments can still have an impact on Christians today.

Historical setting
Historically, monasteries have had great importance. The need for education and preservation of books were strong values that the monasteries held. Bernard of Clairvoux, as well as many other monks, served in his monastery to develop and preserve the influential works of the church.