Fairest Lord Jesus

Fairest Lord Jesus. German, 17th century, translated by several hands. Three stanzas of this German hymn, ‘Schönster Herr Jesu’*, are taken from the version published by Richard Storrs Willis (1819-1900), in his Church Chorals and Choir Studies (New York, 1850), which printed the English and German texts:     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.     Fair are the meadows,     Fairer still the woodlands,   Rob’d in the blooming garb of spring;     Jesus is fairer,     Jesus is purer,   Who makes the woful heart to sing.     Fair is the sunshine,     Fairer still...