Words: Un­known au­thor, 14th Cen­tu­ry or ear­lier (An­i­ma Christi sanc­ti­fi­ca me); the ver­sion be­low ap­peared in The Eng­lish Hymn­al (Lon­don: Ox­ford Un­i­ver­si­ty Press, 1906) with­out nam­ing the trans­lat­or.

Music: Ani­ma Christi, adapt­ed from an Eng­lish tra­di­tion­al mel­o­dy.

If you know the trans­lat­or


Soul of Jesus, make me whole,
Meek and contrite make my soul;
Thou most stainless Soul divine,
Cleanse this sordid soul of mine,
Hallow this my contrite heart,
Purify my every part;
Soul of Jesus, hallow me,
Miserere Domine.

Save me, body of my Lord,
Save a sinner, vile, abhorred;
Sacred body, wan and worn,
Bruised and mangled, scourged and torn,
Piercèd hands and feet and side,
Rent, insulted, crucified:
Save me: to the cross I flee,
Miserere Domine.

Blood of Jesus, stream of life,
Sacred stream with blessings rife,
From the broken body shed
On the cross, that altar dread;
Giv’n to be our drink divine,
Fill my heart and make it thine;
Blood of Christ, my succor be,
Miserere Domine.

Holy water, stream that poured
From Thy riven side, O Lord,
Wash thou me without, within,
Cleanse me from the taint of sin,
Till my soul is clean and white,
Bathed and purified and bright
As a ransomed soul should be,
Miserere Domine.

Jesus, by the wondrous power
Of Thine awful passion hour,
By the unimagined woe
Mortal man may never know;
By the curse upon Thee laid,
By the ransom Thou hast paid,
By Thy passion comfort me,
Miserere Domine.

Jesus, by Thy bitter death,
By Thy last expiring breath,
Give me the eternal life,
Purchased by that mortal strife;
Thou didst suffer death that I
Might not die eternally;
By Thy dying quicken me,
Miserere Domine.

Miserere, let me be
Never parted, Lord, from Thee;
Guard me from my ruthless foe,
Save me from eternal woe;
When the hour of death is near,
And my spirit faints for fear,
Call me with Thy voice of love,
Place me near to Thee above,
With Thine angel host to raise
An undying song of praise,
Miserere Domine.