Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature

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,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
fairer still the moonlight,
and all the twinkling, starry host:
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer,
than all the angels heaven can boast.

All fairest beauty
heavenly and earthly,
wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;
none can be nearer,
fairer or dearer,
than thou, my Savior, art to me.

Words: verses 1 and 3: Münster Gesangbuch, 1677;
verse 2: Leipzig, 1842;
trans. Joseph August Seiss, 1873, possibly earlier.

Another, very similar translation is in use in much of the world, starting "Fairest Lord Jesus, Lord of all creation" by Lilian Stevenson (1870-1960), © Oxford University Press.

MIDI: St. Elizabeth (Silesian melody, Leipzig, 1842; harmonized by T. Tertius Noble, 1918)

Meter: 568.558

Hymnal, Year Number Tunes Other comments
Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861-1874      
The Anglican Hymn Book, 1868       
The Sarum Hymnal, 1869      
The Church Hymnal, 1871 (Hall & Whiteley)      
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Goodrich & Gilbert)      
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Tucker & Rousseau)      
The Church Hymnal, 1874 (Hutchins)      
Church Hymns with Tunes, 1874      
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1874      
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Standard, 1875-1924      
A Church of England Hymn Book, 1879      
The Universal Hymn Book, 1885      
The Hymnal Companion, 1890      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Darlington)      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Parker)      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Hutchins)      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Tucker & Rousseau)      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Helfenstein)      
The Church Hymnal, Revised and Enlarged, 1892 (Messiter)      
The Yattendon Hymnal, 1900
      
Church Hymns, New Edition, 1903      
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Edition, 1904      
The English Hymnal, 1906      
The Book of Common Praise, 1908      
The Hymnal 1916 356 Schönster Herr Jesu, St. Elizabeth  
Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917      
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1919      
Church Hymnal Revised, 1920
(Hutchins)		 468 St. Elizabeth  
The Oxford Hymn Book, 1925      
Songs of Praise, 1925      
Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition, 1931      
The Book of Common Praise, 1938 604 Schönster Herr Jesu  
The Hymnal 1940 346 Schönster Herr Jesu, St. Elizabeth  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, Revised, 1950      
The Mirfield Mission Hymn Book, 1955      
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 1960      
Anglican Hymn Book, 1965      
The Hymn Book 1971 046 Schönster Herr Jesu  
The Australian Hymn Book / With One Voice, 1977      
The Hymnal 1982 383, 384 St. Elizabeth, Schönster Herr Jesu  
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard, 1983      
The New English Hymnal, 1985      
Hymns for Today's Church, second edition, 1988 209 Schönster Herr Jesu, Silchester (2nd edition only)  
Church Family Worship, 1988      
Hymns Old & New, New Anglican Edition, 1996      
Common Praise (The Anglican Church of Canada), 1998 619 Schönster Herr Jesu  
Together in Song: The Australian Hymn Book II, 1999 203 St. Elizabeth  
Sing Glory, 1999 199 Schönster Herr Jesu  
Complete Mission Praise, 2000 823 Schönster Herr Jesu  
Common Praise: Hymns Ancient & Modern, 2000      
Hymns Old & New, Complete Anglican Edition, 2000      
Church Hymnal (Church of Ireland), 2000 088 Schönster Herr Jesu  

Website compiled by Steve Benner, 1999-2003.