O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High

For the Sundays After Epiphany

Version 1
Compare: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High - Version 2
Translation by Benjamin Webb, Version 2

Words: "O amor quam extaticus," Latin, Fifteenth Century, a cento from Apparuit benignitas by Thomas a Kempis
Translation by Benjamin Webb expressly for the Hymnal Noted

Music: "Melody from the 'Salisbury Hymnal.'
Harmonized by H. R. Schrœder."
Other Music includes: Eisenach, MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Deo Gracias, MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Deus Tuorum Millitum, MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Eden, MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Puer Nobis Nascitur, MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / XML
Meter: LM

Source: Rev. John Mason Neale and Rev. Thomas Helmore, eds., Hymnal Noted, Part I. (London: Novello & Co., 1852), Part II (London: Novello & Co., 1856), #73 (Combined Edition #45), pp. 141-142.

Eph. iii. 19.— " The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

1. ^a O Love, how deep, how broad, how high, ¹
^b How passing thought and fantasy,
^c That God, the Son of God, should take
^d Our mortal form for mortals' sake !

2. ^e He sent no Angel to our race,
^f Of higher or of lower place,
^g But wore the robe of human frame,
^h And He Himself to this world came.

3. ⁱ Nor willed He only to appear;
His pleasure was to tarry here ;
^m And God and Man with man would be ¹¹
ⁿ The space of thirty years and three.

4. ^o For us baptised, for us He bore ^p
His holy fast, and hunger'd sore. ^q
^r For us temptations sharp He knew,
^s For us the Tempter overthrew.

5. ^t For us He preaches and He prays,
^u Would do all things, would try all ways ;
^v By words, ^w and signs, and actions, ^x thus
^z Still seeking not Himself, but us.

6. ^aa For us to wicked men betrayed,
^bb Scourged, ^cc mocked, in Crown of Thorns arrayed; ^dd
^ee For us He bore the Cross's death,
^ff For us at length gave up His breath.

7. ^gg For us He rose from death again,
^hh For us He went on high to reign,
ⁱⁱ For us He sent His Spirit here
^kk To guide, ^ll to strengthen, and to cheer. ^mm

8. All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee !
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete. Amen.

Notes from A Short Commentary on the Hymnal Noted (London: Joseph Masters, 1852), #XIX, pp. 17-18.

1. The Hymn refers to Heb. v. 11. " I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I delivered thee : behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." Return

11. With works of mercy and of love. We pray for pardon from above. According to that saying of Daniel's : "Break off thy sin by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor." Return

These notes are Limited to Part I, Hymns 1-46.

Notes from The Words of the Hymnal Noted Complete With Scriptural References (London: J. A. Novello and J. Masters, no date, circa 1855), pp. 50-51.

a. Eph. iii. 18. Return

b. S. John xv. 9. Return

c. Philip. ii. 7. Return

d. 1 S. Pet. iii. 18. Return

e. Psalm xlix. 8. Rev. v. 3. Return

f. Col. i. 16. Return

g. Zech. iii. 3. Return

h. S. Matt. xxi. 37. Return

i. Acts i. 1, 2. Return

m. Isaiah vii. 14. Return

n. S. Luke iii. 23. Return

o. S. Matt. iii. 15. Return

p. Psalm xxxv. 13. Return

q. S. Matt. iv. 2. Return

r. Heb. ii. 18. Return

s. 1 S. John iii. 8. Return

t. S. Luke iv. 19. S. John xvii. 9. Return

u. Isaiah v. 4. Hos. vii. 1. S. John xii. 37. Return

v. S. John xv. 22. Return

w. S. John xv. 24. Return

x. S. John xiii. 15. Return

z. S. John viii. 50. Return

aa. Rom. iv. 25. Return

bb. Isaiah lvi. 5. Return

cc. Heb. xiii. 13. Return

dd. Psalm cxxxii. 19. Return

ee. 1 S. Pet. ii. 24. Return

ff. 1 Thess. v. 10. Return

gg. Rom. iv. 25. Return

hh. Rom. viii. 34. Return

ii. S. John xvi. 7. Return

kk. S. John xvi. 13. Return

ll. Psalm li. 12. Return

mm. S. John. xiv. 16. Return

Lyrics and Sheet Music to "O amor quam extaticus" from J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled By The Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #89, pp. 136-137.

Rev. Hopkins noted that this hymn could be sung to the "foregoing melody," which was Jesu! The Very Thought Is Sweet!

Sheet Music from Rev. John Mason Neale and Rev. Thomas Helmore, eds., Hymnal Noted, Part I. (London: Novello & Co., 1852), Part II (London: Novello & Co., 1856), #73, pp. 141-142.
Third melody of "Exuliat coelum laudibus," from the Salisbury Hymnal.

Sheet Music from Thomas Helmore, Accompanying Harmonies to the Hymnal Noted. Part I (London: Novello, Ewer and Co., and Masters and Son, 1852), Part II (London: Novello and Co., Joseph Masters and J. T. Hayes, 1858), #73.

Note.

This translation was originally attributed to John Mason Neale in Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1892), but corrected to Benjamin Webb in later editions.

According to a note in Thomas Helmore, Accompanying Harmonies to the Hymnal Noted. Part I (London: Novello, Ewer and Co., and Masters and Son, 1852), Part II (London: Novello and Co., Joseph Masters and J. T. Hayes, 1858), p. iv-v, this hymn is a cento.

Editor's Note.

Rev. Helmore did not identify the source from which this cento was derived, however, it was identified in Dr. Julian's excellent Dictionary of Hymnology, p. 76.

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.