"
Herzliebster Jesu" (often translated into English as "
Ah, Holy Jesus", sometimes as "
O Dearest Jesus") is a
German hymn for Passiontide, written in 1630 by
Johann Heermann, in 15 stanzas of 4 lines, first published in
Devoti Musica Cordis in Breslau. As the original headline reveals, it is based on
Augustine of Hippo; this means the seventh chapter of the so called "Meditationes Divi Augustini", presently ascribed to
John of Fécamp. Its tune, also called "Herzliebster Jesu", was written ten years later by
Johann Crüger and first appeared in Crüger's
Neues vollkömmliches Gesangbuch Augsburgischer Confession.