Sleepers Awake

"Wachet Auf" (also known as "Sleepers Awake") is a chorale cantata by J. S. Bach.  For a splendid wealth of details about this great cantata, read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachet_auf,_ruft_uns_die_Stimme,_BWV_140

The words are magnificent, but it's the tune I find especially nourishing.  There are several marvelous piano transcriptions of the main tune.  Wilhelm Kempff recorded his own (see Amazon.com) and there's another by Busoni that many pianists have recorded, which I also like and sometimes play at weddings.

A side-by-side look at Exsultet texts

A side-by-side look at Exsultet texts



The Exsultet is such a beautiful hymn, one of my favorite parts of the Easter Vigil.  The above link takes you to Fr. Zuhlsdorf's Blog article comparing two English translations compared side-by-side with the original Latin text of the hymn.

Jesus Priceless Treasure

1 Jesus, priceless treasure,
source of purest pleasure,
friend most sure and true:
long my heart was burning,
fainting much and yearning,
thirsting, Lord, for you.
Yours I am, O spotless Lamb,
so will I let nothing hide you,
seek no joy beside you! 

2 Let your arms enfold me:
those who try to wound me
cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear.
Fires may flash and thunder crash;
yea, though sin and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me. 

3 Hence, all worldly treasure!
Jesus is my pleasure,
Jesus is my choice.
Hence, all empty glory!
What to me your story
told with tempting voice?
Pain or loss or shame or cross
shall not from my Savior move me,
since he chose to love me. 

4 Banish thoughts of sadness,
for the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in;
though the clouds may gather,
those who love the Savior
still have peace within.
Though I bear much sorrow here,
still in you lies purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless treasure! 

Psalter Hymnal, 1987

Find more information on this site:

http://www.hymnary.org/text/jesus_priceless_treasure