Muss auch ihr Betrüben
Lauter Zucker sein.
Duld’ ich schon hier Spott und Hohn,
Dennoch bleibst du auch im Leide,
Jesu, meine Freude.
In its depth of spiritual experience, this hymn by Franck resembles Wesley’s “Jesus, lover of my soul.” It has made a wide appeal and the words have been translated into various tongues. Peter the Great, the irreligious Czar of Russia, of all people, had the hymn done into the Russian language, and it has also been translated into Estonian.
For comments on the author, Johann Franck, see [Hymn 552].
For comments on the translator, Catherine Winkworth, see [Hymn 236].
MUSIC. JESU MEINE FREUDE is an adaptation of a traditional melody found in J. Crüger’s Praxis Pietatis Melica, 1653, where it is set to the present hymn. Our version of the melody and the harmony is by J. S. Bach. It is a superb tune and rates as one of the finest of all German chorales.
For comments on Johann Crüger see [Hymn 242].