Religion

Iesu dulcis memoria

by St. Bernard of Clairvaux 1090–1153

Translated by Edward Caswall (1849) · From Lyra Catholica (1849)

Religion

Jesu! the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my 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 Saviour of mankind!

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can shew:
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but his lov’d ones know.

Jesu! our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize wilt be;
Jesu! be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.

✦ ✦ ✦

Latin: Iesu dulcis memoria. Printed in Caswall's Lyra Catholica (1849) among the Proper of the Season (Roman Breviary).

MLA

Clairvaux, St. Bernard of. “Iesu dulcis memoria.” Translated by Edward Caswall. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bernard-of-clairvaux/1/.

Chicago

Clairvaux, St. Bernard of. “Iesu dulcis memoria.” Translated by Edward Caswall. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bernard-of-clairvaux/1/.

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