Jesu, dulcis memoria | Jesu, dulcis memoria

by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153)

Jesu, dulcis memoria

Language: Latin

Our translations: DUT FRE

Jesu, dulcis memoria, 
dans vera cordis gaudia,
sed super mel et omnia,
eius dulcis praesentia.

Nil canitur suavius, 
nil auditur iucundius,
nil cogitatur dulcius
quam Jesus, Dei Filius.

Jesu, spes paenitentibus,
Quam pius es petentibus!
Quam bonus te quaerentibus!
Sed quid invenientibus?

Nec lingua valet dicere,
Nec littera exprimere:
Expertus potest credere,
Quid sit Jesum diligere.

Sis, Jesu, nostrum gaudium,
Qui es futurus praemium
Sit nostra in te gloria,
Per cuncta semper saecula. Amen.

Available sung texts: ← What is this?

• R. Dering • A. Diepenbrock • W. Mozart

R. Dering sets stanzas 1, 2
W. Mozart sets stanzas 1-2

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Text Authorship:

by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Richard Dering (c1580 - 1630), "Jesu, dulcis memoria", stanzas 1,2 [ chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Alphons Diepenbrock (1862 - 1921), "Jesu, dulcis memoria", 1889, published 1923, note: Diepenbrock reverses stanzas 3 and 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Mervyn, Lord Horder, the Second Baron of Ashford (1910 - 1998), "Jesus, dulcis memoria" [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), "Jesus dulcis memoria", stanzas 1-2 [ soprano, clarinet, and orchestra ], Parodie von W.A. Mozarts "Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio" (La Clemenza di Tito) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Walter Rudolph Niemann (1876 - 1953), "Jesu dulcis memoria", published 1906 [ mixed chorus ], from 3 kleine Motetten, no. 1, Bartholf Senff, Plate 2561 [sung text not yet checked]
by Mario van Overeem (1872 - 1946), "Jesu dulcis memoria" [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies : pour chant et piano, no. 6, Bruxelles : Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
by Goffredo Petrassi (1904 - 2003), "Jesu dulcis memoria" [ tenor and orchestra ], from Quattro Inni Sacri, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844 - 1889) , "Jesu, dulcis memoria" [an adaptation] ; composed by Russell Woollen.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Edward Caswall) , written 1849 [an adaptation]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 76