Spitta, Carl Johann Philipp, D.D., was born Aug. 1, 1801, at Hannover, where his father, Lebrecht Wilhelm Gottfried Spitta, was then living, as bookkeeper and teacher of the French language. In his eleventh year Spitta fell into a severe illness, which lasted for four years, and so threw him back that his mother (the father died in 1805) abandoned the idea of a professional career, and apprenticed him to a watchmaker. This occupation did not prove at all congenial to him, but he would not confess his dislike, and his family were ignorant of it till an old friend, who was trying to comfort him after the death of a younger brother, discovered his true feelings. The younger brother had been preparing for ordination, and so Carl was now invited… Go to person page >| First Line: | O Jesu, meine Sonne vor der die Nacht entfleucht |
| Title: | Leben und volle Genüge in Jesu |
| Author: | Karl Johann Philipp Spitta |
| Place of Origin: | Germany |
| Language: | German |
| Copyright: | Public Domain |
O Jesu, meine Sonne. C. J. P. Spitta. [Love to Christ.] A beautiful hymn on Jesus as the daily help and life of His faithful people. First published in Spitta's Psalter und Harfe, Pirna, 1833, p. 69, in 8 stanzas of 8 lines entitled, “Life and full satisfaction in Jesus." Included in Knapp's Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1850, No. 1445 (1865, No. 1507). Translated as:-
O blessed Sun, whose splendour. A full and good translation by R. Massie in his Lyra Domestica, 1860, p. 66, repeated in Reid's Praise Book, 1872, and in Schaff’s Christ in Song, 1869-70. Varying centos with the original first line are found in Flett's Collection, Paisley, 1871; Hatfield's Church Hymn Book, N. Y., 1872; Harland's Church Psalter & Hymnal, 1876 ; J. L. Porter's Collection, 1876, &c; and(with the first line,as "Blessed Sun") in the Book of Common Praise, 1863. Varying centos (generally iv.-vi.) beginning "I know no life divided" (stanza iv.) are included in Kennedy, 1863; People's Hymnal, 1867; and in America in the Presbyterian Hymnal, 1874; Methodist Episcopal Hymnal, 1878; Dutch Reformed Hymn Book, 1869; Laudes Domini, 1884, &c.
Other translations are (1) "Jesus, my sun! before Whose eye,” by Miss Fry, 1859, p. 143. (2) “O Jesus Christ, my Sunshine,” by Miss Manington, 1864, p. 15. (3) “O Jesus, at Thy shining,” by Miss Burlingham, in the British Herald, Aug. 1865, p. 124, repeated in Reid's Praise Book, 1872. (4) "Jesus, my Sun, before Whose beams," by Lady Durand, 1873, p. 29. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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0 Jesu, meine Sonne, p. 838, ii. We find that this was published in the Christliche Monatsschrift, Lüneburg, 1826, p. 190, as, "O Jesu, meine Wonne, Die alle Notu verscheucht" (stanzas i. 11. 3, 4, of the 1833 text).
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)
My Starred Hymns