Hymn Stories: Fairest Lord Jesus

 

Verse 1

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son;
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

Verse 2

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Verse 3

Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight
And all the twinkling, starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

Verse 4

Beautiful Savior, Lord of all the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be Thine!

 

I learned this hymn as a child, believe it or not in Vacation Bible School.  No one is absolutely certain where this hymn originated.  There are at least two accounts of its origin.

One account is that It was a song sung by the Crusaders as they travelled to Jerusalem during the Crusades.  In this account the hymn has the name Crusaders Hymn. Using this legend, the original German text dates back to the 12^th century.

Another account, possibly more accurate, is that it came from the followers of an early Reformation leader John Hus.  Hus and his followers were from an area near Prague, the capitol of what was then known as Bohemia now the Czech Republic.  During an anti-reformation purge around 1400, Hus and his followers along with other reformers were driven out of Bohemia.  Hus and his followers settled in an area that is now part of Poland.

The German text of this hymn as we now know it first appeared in print in 1677, in a Jesuit hymnal. 

The English translator of the first three stanzas is unknown.  The fourth stanza translation is attributed to Joseph A. Seiss. This beautiful verse emphasized the dual nature of Christ – that of fully God and fully Man. 

The English hymn coupled with this tune first appeared in print in 1850.  Richard Storrs Willis adapted and arranged the music.  Richard Willis also composed the music of the Christmas Carol “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”