O Jesu, Thou the Beauty Art

O Jesu, Thou the beauty art
Of angel worlds above;
Thy Name is music to the heart,
Enchanting it with love.

Celestial sweetness unalloyed!
Who eat Thee hunger still:
Who drink of Thee still feel a void,
Which naught but Thou can fill.

O my sweet Jesus! hear the sighs
Which unto Thee I send;
To Thee mine inmost spirit cries,
My being’s hope and end!

Stay with us, Lord, and with Thy light
Illume the soul’s abyss;
Scatter the darkness of our night,
And fill the world with bliss.

O Jesu! spotless virgin-flower!
Our life and joy! To Thee
Be praise, beatitude, and power
Through all eternity.

Author: Bernard of Clairvaux

Year: 1150

This is an English translation of the Latin hymn 'Jesu, dulcis memoria' (or a closely related text from the same tradition). The original is generally attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090–1153); the specific English rendering here is likely 19th-century but the core lyrics originate with Bernard.