Quattro Inni Sacri

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.

Text Authorship:

• by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153)

See other settings of this text.

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

• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Lau Kanen) , "Jesus, zoete herinnering", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Edward Caswall) , written 1849 [an adaptation]
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Te lucis ante terminum
rerum creator poscimus
ut solita clementia
sis presul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia
et noctium phantasmata,
hostemque nostrum comprime,
ne polluantur corpora.

Praesta Pater piissime
Patrique compar Unice 
Cum Spirito Paraclito
Regnans per omne saeculum.

Amen.

Text Authorship:

• by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, Ahrweil Antiphoner

See other settings of this text.

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

• ENG English (David Wyatt) , "We pray to you, before the end of day", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• LAT Latin (Bible or other Sacred Texts) , from the Breviary
• LAT Latin (Maffeo Barberini) , "Te lucis ante terminum" [an adaptation]

See also Gezelle's Aleer het licht ten avond raakt.

Research team for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]