I Love You oh my Lord Most High / I Love Thee O thou Lord Most High

This is a hymn about God's love. It is partially based on the Suscipe of Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), which was written in Latin.

It was translated to English and set at a hymn by English Anglican clergyman and later Roman Catholic convert and priest Edward Caswall (1814-1878). Originally published in various hymnals in the late 1800s, it has been picked up again more recently, and various settings have been recorded and/or published.

It was originally written as I love thee, O thou Lord most high, and titled "Prayer of St Ignatius", but many editors have since published it with more modern language.

With Long Meter (LM), tunes that it has been set to include:

FAITH IS STRONGER THAN MY FEARS by TQ Solis, Jr., © 1996

and various un-named tunes.

Downloads

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SATB arrangement from English and Latin Hymns of the Roman Hymnal, Fr. Pustet & Co New York 1884

SATB choir and piano setting by Anthony Giamanco

PowerPoint
slides

Examples

Solo singer with piano backing, tune FAITH IS STRONGER THAN MY FEARS

CCM style setting by Fr. J. Roel Lungay, backing track:

Soloist and choir, setting by Anthony Giamanco, piano accompaniment:

Lyrics

Modern English

I love You, oh my Lord most high,
For first Your love has captured me;
I seek no other liberty;
Bound by Your love, I shall be free.

May memory no thought suggest,
But shall to Your pure glory tend,
May understanding find no rest,
Except in You, its only end.

My God, I here protest to You,
No other will have I than Yours;
Whatever You have given me,
I here again to You resign.

All mine is Yours; say but the word,
Say what You will, it shall be done;
I know Your love, most gracious Lord, I
know You seek my good alone.

Apart from You, nothing can be,
So grant me this, my only wish,
To love You, Lord, eternally,
You give me all in giving this.

Traditional English

I love, I love Thee, Lord most high!
Because Thou first hast loved me;
I seek no other liberty
But that of being bound to Thee.

May memory no thought suggest,
But shall to Thy pure glory tend;
My understanding find no rest
Except in Thee, its only end.

My God, I here protest to Thee,
No other will have I than Thine;
Whatever Thou hast given me,
I here again to Thee resign.

All mine is Thine,—say but the word,
Whate’er Thou wiliest shall be done;
I know Thy love, all-gracious Lord;
I know it seeks my good alone.

Apart from Thee all things are naught;
Then grant, O my supremest bliss!
Grant me to love Thee as I ought;—
Thou givest all in giving this!

Verse and chorus form traditional-language setting

I love Thee, O Thou Lord most high,
Because Thou first hast loved me:
I seek no other liberty
But that of being bound to Thee.

Chorus
My God; I here protest to Thee
No other will I have than Thine;
Whatever Thou hast giv’n to me
I here again to Thee resign.

May memory no thought suggest
But shall to Thy pure glory tend;
My understanding find no rest
Except in Thee, its only end.

Apart from Thee all things are nought;
Then grant, O my supremest Bliss,
Grant me to love Thee as I ought;
Thou givest all in giving this.