Here is my composite and supplement for the hymn “O du Liebe meiner Liebe (E. von Senitz, d. 1679), using the oldest substantial translation by the Unitas Fratrum / Moravian Hymn-Book (variants noted below), and also the translation of E. Ortlepp (1900) provided for the Selah Gesangbuch. The latter is altered where necessary to agree with the style and idiom of the Moravian stanzas. None of the translations, of course, is complete; together, they still omit stanza 4, a translation of which I offer here. The melody is the proper one as composed by Thommen.
OH, Thou Love wherewith I’m lovèd,
Source of all my happiness;
Thou, O Love, by mercy movèd,
Tak’st upon Thee my distress:
As a lamb led to the slaughter
Goest to the cross’s tree,
Seal’st Thy love with blood and water,
Bear’st the world’s iniquity. 2 Love, so strikingly displayèd
In Thy tears and bloody sweat:
Love, by sinful men betrayèd,
Dragged before the judgment-seat:
Love, who for my soul’s salvation
Willingly didst shed Thy blood,
Through Thy death and bitter Passion
I am reconciled to God.
3 Love, whose heart in humble silence
Bravely bore disgrace and shame,
Love, who through the worst revilements
To the end wast e’er the same;
Love, who didst not cease Thy pleading
To the last expiring breath,
Kindly for me interceding
When Thy head was bowed in death!
4 Love, who with Thine arms extended
At the last wouldst me embrace;
Love, who out of mercy splendid
Pled’st for me the highest grace
With Thy Father, and, forsaken
For my sake Thyself hast died,
Lest I be by wrath o’ertaken
With Thy merits took’st my side.
5 Love, who as my bleeding Savior
Didst my heart in righteousness
Unto Thee betroth forever,
Ah, I thank Thee for Thy grace:
Love, who thus Thyself engagèd:
Let my mis’ry and my smart
Now entirely be assuagèd
In Thy wounded, bleeding heart.
6 Love, who hast for me endurèd
Death upon th’ accursèd tree,
And eternal bliss procurèd,
Fill my soul with love to Thee:
Lord, how hast Thou captivated
My else cold and lifeless heart:
Let me, till to heav’n translated,
Never more from Thee depart.
7 Love, from bitter sorrows dying
For my heart so cold and vain;
In the tomb enshrouded lying—
Ah, I thank Thee for Thy pain!
Thanks to Thee for that salvation,
Which through death brought life to me:
Let this Love’s divine persuasion
Draw me nearer unto Thee!
Tr. st. 4, M. Carver, 2022.
SOURCES
1 Oh, the love wherewith I’m lovèd,
Source of all my happiness; [O the undeserved grace] (Mor. H-B 1795)
Thou, O love, by mercy movèd,
Tak’st upon Thee my distress:
As a lamb led to the slaughter
Goest to the cross’s tree, [Thou go’st to the cross’s tree,] (Mor. H-B 1795)
Seal’st Thy love with blood and water,
Bear’st the world’s iniquity. (Mor. H-B 1876)
1b O Thou Love whom I am loving
As my soul’s desire and bliss,
Who with tender pity moving
Ventured into death’s abyss,
Who for me has tortures suffered
All my sins and debts to pay,
Whose own sacrifice once offered
Took a world’s misdeeds away! (E. Ortlepp)
2 Love, so strikingly displayèd
In Thy tears and bloody sweat: [In the tears…]
Love, by sinful men betrayèd,
Dragged before the judgment-seat:
Love, who for my soul’s salvation
Willingly didst shed Thy blood,
Through Thy death and bitter Passion
I am reconciled to God. (Mor. H-B 1876)
2b O Thou Love, who knelt with weeping,
Wrestling in Gethsemane,
Love not slumbering nor sleeping,
Ever seeking, watching me;
Love, who did His own volition
Yield into the Father’s will,
And, to save us from perdition,
Bore the cross to Calv’ry’s hill! (E. Ortlepp)
3 O Thou Love, whose heart in silence
Bravely bore disgrace and shame,
Love, who through the worst reveilments
To the end remained the same;
Love, who did not cease His pleading
To the last expiring breath,
Kindly for me interceding
When Thy head was bowed in death! (E. Ortlepp)
5 Love, who as my bleeding Savior
Didst my heart in righteousness
Unto Thee betroth forever,
Ah, I thank Thee for Thy grace:
Love, who thus Himself engagèd: [Thyself engaged] (Mor. H-B 1832)
Let my mis’ry and my smart [Let all mis’ry which I feel] (Mor. H-B 1832)
Now entirely be assuagèd
In Thy wounded, bleeding heart. (Mor. H-B 1795) [By Thy stripes my sorrows heal] (Mor. H-B 1832)
6 Love, who hast for me endurèd
Death upon th’ accursèd tree,
And eternal bliss procurèd,
Fill my soul with love to Thee:
Lord, how hast Thou captivated
My else cold and lifeless heart: [wretched heart] (Mor. H-B 1795)
Let me, till to heav’n translated,
Never more from Thee depart. (Mor. H-B 1876)
6b O Thou Love, who died to win me,
To secure my lasting good,
Henceforth all that is within me
Thinketh of Thy precious blood;
Here I thank Thee for those smarting
Pains and pangs, Thou wounded Love,
Now, and when from earth departing
In Thy arms I rest above. (E. Ortlepp)
7 O Thou Love, from sorrows dying!
For my heart so cold and vain
In the tomb enshrouded lying!
Ah! I thank Thee for Thy pain.
Thanks to Thee for that salvation.
Which through death brought life to me:
Let this Love’s divine persuasion
Draw me nearer unto Thee! (E. Ortlepp)
GERMAN
1 O du Liebe meiner Liebe!
du erwünschte Seligkeit!
die du dich aus höchstem Triebe
in das jammervolle Leid
deines Leidens, mir zu gute,
als ein Schlachtschaaf engestellt,
und bezahlt mit deinem Blute,
alle Misserthat der Welt.
2 Liebe, die mit Schweiß und Thränen
an em Oelberg sich betrübt;
Liebe, die mit Blut und Sehnen
unaufhörlich fest geliebt;
Liebe, die mit allem Willen
Gottes Zorn und Eifer tragt!
den so Niemand konnte stillen,
hat dein Sterben hingelegt.
3 Liebe, die mit starkem Herzen
alle Schmach und Hohn gehört;
Liebe, die mit Angst und Schmerzen
nicht der strengste Tod verfehrt;
Liebe, die sich liebend zeiget,
als sich Kraft und Athem endt;
Liebe, die sich liebend neiget,
als sich Leib und Seele trennt!
4 Liebe, die mit ihren Armen
mich zuletzt umfangen wollt;
Liebe, die aus liebserbarmen
mich zuletzt in höchster Huld
ihrem vater überlassen,
die selbst starb und für mich hat,
daß mich nicht der Zorn solt fassen,
weil mich ihr Verdienst vertrat.
5 Liebe, die mir so viel Wunden
gegen mich als seine Braut,
unauflöslich sich verbunden [unaufhörlich mich…]
und auf ewig anvertraut!
Liebe, laß auch meine Schmerzen,
meines Lebens Jammerpein,
in dem blut-verwundten Herzen,
sanft in die gestillet sein.
6 Liebe, die für mich gestorben
und ein immerwährend Gut
an dem Kreuzesholz erworben,
ach, wie denk ich an dein Blut!
Ach, wie denk ich deinen Wunden,
du verwundte Liebe du!
wenn ich in den letzten Stunden,
sanft in deiner Seiten ruh!
7 Liebe, die sich todt gekränket
und für mein erkaltet's Herz
in ein kaltes Grab gesenket,
ach, wie dank ich deinem Schmerz!
Habe Dank, daß du gestorben,
daß ich ewig leben kann.
und der Seelen Heil erworben!
Nimm mich ewig liebend an.
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