O bone Jesu (William Child)

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• (Posted 2026-01-17)  CPDL #88086: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2026-01-17).   Score information: A4, 6 pages, 92 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: O bone Jesu
Composer: William Child
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Motet

Language: Latin
Instruments: Keyboard

First published:
Description: Best performed by single voices. Child himself was emphatically of the Anglican episcopal tradition. The current piece is one of a dozen in Latin which survive in a single manuscript source, and were uncirculated in his lifetime. Child wrote psalms in this modern Italian style (but in English), "Fitt for private Chappells or other private meetings". It is possible that the Latin anthems were written for similar use, at the request of a Catholic patron, perhaps in the circle of Queen Henrietta Maria.

Original text and translations

Latin text O bone Jesu, O dulcissime Jesu, O Jesu fili Maria Virginis, O dulcis Jesu: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam, miserere mei.

English translation O good Jesus, O sweetest Jesus, O Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary, O sweet Jesus: according to thy great mercy, have mercy on me.