Dieterich Buxtehude, Membra Jesu Nostri

Ecce super montes pedes
evangelizantiset
annunciantis pacem.

Lo, upon the mountains come
the feet of one bringing good tidings
and speaking a message of peace.

Salve mundi salutare.
Salve, salve Jesu care!
Cruci tuae me aptare
Vellem vere, tu scis quare;
Da mihi tui copiam.

Hail, O Saviour of the world, hail.
Hail, beloved Jesu, hail!
I would truly take up Thy cross;
surely thou knowest why;
give me then Thy mighty help.

Clavos pedum, plagas duras
Et tam graves impressuras.
Circumplector cum affectu
Tuo pavens in aspectu
Tuorum memor vulnerum.

With what ardour I embrace
Those nails which pierce Thy blessed Feet.
The heavy blows, the fearful stripes
As mindful of Thy wounds I gaze
With trembling here upon Thy face.

Dulcis Jesu, pie Deus
Ad te clamo, licet reus
Praebe mihi te benignum
Ne repellas me indignum
De tuis sanctis pedibus.

Sweet Jesus, Holy God,
To Thee I cry, although a sinner yet;
Show forth Thy mercy, Lord to me
And cast me not, e’en so unworthy
Away from Thy most sacred Feet.

Ad ubera portabimini,
et super genua blandicentur vobis.

They will bear Thee on their breast and do Thee honour on bended knee.

Salve Jesu, rex sanctorum,
Spes Votiva peccatorum.
Crucis ligno tanquam reus
Pendens homo, veres Deus,
Caducis nutans genibus.

Hail, O Jesus, King of Saints,
Earnest hope of sinful men.
As now Thou hangest on the Cross
Like Man condemned, yet Very God,
Thy Knees bent in death’s weariness.

Quid sum tibi responsurus;
Actu vilis, corde durus?
Quid rependam amatori
Qui elegit pro me mori
Ne dupla morte morerer?

What answer shall I make Thee here;
I, base in deed and hard of heart?
How repay my dearest Love,
Who chose to suffer death for me
And how escape a double death?

Ut te quaeram mente pura
Sit haec mea prima cura
Non est labor nec gravabor
Sed sanabor et mundabor
Cum te complexus fuero.

Be this, dear Lord, my chiefest care,
To seek Thee with a perfect heart
For would I but embrace Thee here
It were no Toil, nor burden yet,
For then should I be cleansed and healed.

Quid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum?

What are these wounds in the middle of Thy hands?

Salve Jesu pastor bone,
Fatigatus in agone
Qui per lignum es distractus
Et ad lignum es compactus
Expansis sanctis manibus.

Hail, Jesu the Good Shepherd Thou,
Now wearied by Thine agony
As thou were tortured on Thy Cross
By nails upon cruel wood
Thy sacred Hands were outstretched for me.

Manus sanctae, vos amplector
Et gemendo condelector
Grates ago plagis tantis
Clavis duris, guttis sanctis
Dans lacrimas cum oculis.

Blessed Hands, I now embrace you
Weeping, I rejoice in You
And offer thanksgiving for the blows
The cruel nails, the sacred Blood,
My kisses mingling with my tears.

In cruore tuo lotum
Me commendo tibi totum.
Tuae sanctae manus istae
Me defendant, Jesu Christe
Extremis in periculis.

Washed in the fountain of Thy Blood
I place me wholly in Thy trust.
Now may those blessed Hands of Thine
Protect me, Jesu Christ, and guard
In my last hour of need.

Surge, amica mea, speciosa mea; et veni columba mea in foraminibus petrae, in caverna maceriae.

Arise, my love, my fair one;
and come away, my dove among the rocky clefts and stony caves.

Salve, latus salvatoris,
in quo latet mel dulcoris,
in quo patet vis amoris
Ex quo scatet fons cruoris
Qui corda lavat sordida.

Hail, my dearest Saviour’s Side,
Wherein the sweetest honey lies,
Wherein the might of love is seen
And whence doth gush a fount of blood
To cleanse the soiled heart of man.

Ecce tibi appropinquo
Parce, Jesu, si delinquo.
Verecunda quidem fronte
Ad te tamen veni sponte
Scrutari tua vulnera.

Lo, now approach I near to Thee
O spare me, Jesu, should I fail Thee.
Let me come with holy fear,
Gladly to fall down before Thee
To behold Thy sacred wounds.

Hora mortis meus flatus
Intret, Jesu, tuum latus,
Hinc expirans in te vadat,
Ne hunc leo trux invadat
Sed apud te permaneat.

May my spirit, Jesu, enter
At the hour of Death Thy Side,
And being thence exhaled go with Thee,
That the fierce lion may not invade me
But I may ever stay with Thee.

Sicut modo geniti infantes rationabiles,
et sine dolo concupiscite,
ut in eo crescatis in salutem.
Si tamen gustastis,
quoniam dulcis est Dominus.

You must be born again as newborn children,
but with knowledge, seek your milk without guile
that therein you may grow in health.
And having once tasted thereof,
you will see how sweet is the Lord.

Salve, salus mea, Deus,
Jesu dulcis, amor meus.
Salve, pectus reverendum,
Cum tremore contingendum
Amoris domicilium.

Hail, my Saviour and my God,
Sweet Jesus, Lover of my life.
Hail to Thee, most noble Breast,
Thou dwelling-place of Love Divine Whither trembling we draw near.

Pectus mihi confer mundum;
Ardens, pium, gemebundum, Voluntatem abnegatam
Tibi semper conformatam,
Juncta virtutum copia.

Bestow on me a perfect heart;
Ardent, contrite, dutiful
And make me hence deny my will And ever to Thine own conform, Granting me succour of Thy might.

Ave, verum templum Dei.
Precor miserere mei,
Tu totius arca boni,
ac electis me apponi,
Vas dives Deus omnium.

Hail, Thou temple true of God.
Have mercy on me here,
I pray, Thou resting-place of every good,
And grant a place among the chosen,
O precious treasure, God of all.

Vulnerasti cor meum,
soror mea, sponsa.

Thou hast smitten my heart,
my sister my bride.

Summi regis cor, aveto.
Te saluto corde laeto.
Te complecti me delectat
Et hoc meum cor affectat
Ut ad te loquar animes.

Hail, Heart of the King Most High.
With a joyful heart I greet Thee.
Ever to embrace Thee may I delight
And only this my heart’s desire
Thou make me worthy to address Thee.

Per medullam cordis mei,
Peccatoris atque rei,
Tuus amor transferatur
Quo cor tuum rapiatur
Languens amoris vulnere.

To my poor heart’s very core,
Guilty sinner though I be,
May Thy Love be thoroughly borne
That thus Thy heart, with Love’s wound bleeding,
May be swiftly drawn to mine.

Viva cordis voce clamo,
Dulce cor, te namque amo.
Ad cor meum inclinare
Ut se possit applicare
Devoto tibi pectore.

I cry with loud voice from my heart,
For so I love Thee, Sweetest Heart.
O draw Thou near to my poor heart
That to Thyself I may apply me
With wholly dedicated breast.

Illustra faciem tuam super servum tuum;
salvum me fac in misericordia tua.

Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy servant;
O save me in Thy Mercy.

Salve, caput cruentatum
Totum spinis coronatum,
Conquassatum, vulneratum, Arundine verberatum,
Facie sputis illita.

Hail, O Head all stained with blood
With those cruel thorns crowned,
Cruelly beaten, sorely wounded
Harshly smitten with the rod,
Thy dear Face abused by spitting.

Dum me mori est necesse,
Noli mihi tunc deesse
In tremenda mortis hora
Veni, Jesu, absque mora
Tuere me et libera!

When that hour that I must die shall come,
Saviour do not fail me
But in death’s dread misery
Come, Lord Jesu, come right swiftly,
Protect me then and set me free!

Cum me jubes emigrare
Jesu care, tunc appare.
O amator amplectende;
Temet ipsum tunc ostende
In cruce salutifera.
Amen.

And when Thou bid’st my soul to flee
O sweetest Jesu, then stand by me.
In that hour in love embrace me;
Show Thy blessed Face to me
Upon Thy sweet and saving Cross. Amen.