The Limbs of Our Jesus

Membra Jesu Nostri by St. Bernard of Clairveaux set to music by Dietrich Buxtehude.

To His Feet

Behold, upon the mountains

the feet of one bringing good news

and proclaiming peace.

Hail, salvation of the world,

Hail, hail, dear Jesus!

On Your cross would I hang

Truly, You know why

Give me Your strength.

The nails in Your feet, the hard blows

and so grievous marks

I embrace with love,

Fearful at the sight of You

Mindful of Your wounds.

Sweet Jesus, merciful God

I cry to You, in my guilt

Show me Your grace,

Turn me not unworthy away

From Your sacred feet.

Hail, salvation of the world,

Hail, hail, dear Jesus!

On Your cross would I hang

Truly, You know why

Give me Your strength.

+ + +

To His Knees

You will be brought to nurse

and dandled on the knees

Hail Jesus, King of Saints

Hope of sinners' prayers,

like an offender on the wood of the cross,

a man hanging, true God,

Bending on failing knees!

What answer shall I give You,

Vile as I am in deed, hard in my heart?

How shall I repay Your love,

Who chose to die for me

Lest I die the second death?

That I may seek You with pure heart,

Be my first care,

It is no labour nor shall I be loaded down:

But I shall be cleansed,

When I embrace You.

+ + +

To His Hands

What are those wounds

in the midst of Your hands?

Hail, Jesus, good shepherd,

wearied in agony,

tormented on the cross

nailed to the cross

Your sacred hands stretched out.

Holy hands, I embrace you,

and, lamenting, I delight in you,

I give thanks for the terrible wounds,

the hard nails, the holy drops,

shedding tears with kisses.

Washed in Your blood

I wholly entrust myself to You;

may these holy hands of Yours

defend me, Jesus Christ,

in the final dangers.

+ + + 

To His Sides

Arise, my love,

my beautiful one, and come,

my dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the hollow of the cliff.

Hail, side of the Saviour,

in which the honey of sweetness is hidden,

in which the power of love is exposed,

from which gushes the spring of blood

that cleans the dirty hearts.

Lo I approach You,

Pardon, Jesus, if I sin,

With reverent countenance

freely I come to You

to behold Your wounds.

In the hour of death, may my soul

Enter, Jesus, Your side

Hence dying may it go into You,

Lest the cruel lion seize it,

But let it dwell with You.

+ + +

To His Breast

Like newborn infants,

long for the guileless milk of reason,

that by it you may grow into salvation,

if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Hail God, my salvation,

sweet Jesus, my beloved,

hail, breast to be revered,

to be touched with trembling,

dwelling of love.

Give me a clean breast,

ardent, pious, moaning,

an abnegated will,

always conforming to You,

with an abundance of virtues.

Hail, true temple of God,

I pray, have mercy on me,

You, the ark of all that is good,

make me be placed with the chosen,

rich vessel, God of all.

+ + +

To His Heart

You have wounded my heart,

my sister, my bride,

You have wounded my heart.

Heart of the highest king, I greet You,

I salute You with a joyous heart,

it delights me to embrace You

and my heart aspires to this:

that You move me to speak to You.

Through the marrow of my heart,

of a sinner and culprit,

may Your love be conveyed

by whom Your heart was seized,

languishing through the wound of love.

I call with the living voice of the heart,

sweet heart, for I love You,

to incline to my heart,

so that it may commit itself to you

in the breast devoted to You.

+ + +

To His Face

Let Your face shine upon Your servant,

save me in Your mercy.

Hail, bloodied head,

all crowned with thorns,

beaten, wounded,

struck with a cane,

the face soiled with spit.

When I must die,

do not then be away from me,

in the anxious hour of death

come, Jesus, without delay,

protect me and set me free!

When You command me to depart,

dear Jesus, then appear,

O lover to be embraced,

then show Yourself

on the cross that brings salvation.

Amen