Bernard de Clairvaux (1090–1153)
Love Which Passeth Knowledge
Of Him Who did salvation bring,
I could forever think and sing:
Arise, ye needy, He’ll relieve;
Arise, ye guilty, He’ll forgive.
Ask but His grace, and lo, ’tis given!
Ask, and He turns your hell to heaven;
Though sin and sorrow wound my soul,
Jesus, Thy balm will make it whole.
To shame our sins He blushed in blood;
He closed His eyes to show us God:
Let all the world fall down and know
That none but God such love can show.
Insatiate to this Spring I fly;
I drink, and yet am ever dry;
Ah! who against Thy charm is proof!
Ah! who that loves, can love enough?
Translated by Martin Madan.
Bernard de Clairvaux (1090–1153) was an abbot, mystic, and co-founder of the Knights Templar. He led reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercian Order. This version of his poem comes from A Collection of Psalms and Hymns Extracted from Various Authors, published in 1760.
Selected by Amy Frykholm: amy@journeywithjesus.net
