Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
Josh Groban (Featuring Lili Haydn) Lili Haydn Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jesus, joy of man's desiring
Holy wisdom, love most bright

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned
With the fire of life impassioned
Striving still to truth unknown
Soaring, dying round Thy throne

The original song continues with these words:
Through the way where hope is guiding
Hark, what peaceful music rings
Where the flock, in Thee confiding
Drink of joy from deathless springs
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure




Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring sung by Josh Groban and Lili Haydn are remarkable for their poetic depth and insight into the essence of Divine love. The song starts with an invocation of Jesus, who is the joy of man's desiring and the embodiment of holy wisdom and love. The song suggests that human souls are naturally drawn to the light of Christ and crave the transcendental experience of His divine presence. The lines "Drawn by thee, our souls aspiring, Soar to uncreated light" express the idea that when human beings seek the Divine, they are elevated to a higher level of consciousness and harmoniously blend with the universe.


The next verse speaks about Jesus as the word of God, who crafted human flesh with the fire of life impassioned. The song also acknowledges the human thirst for truth, which is a never-ending pursuit. The pursuit of truth is symbolized by the phrase "Striving still to truth unknown," while the image of souls "soaring, dying round Thy throne" implies that human beings aspire to be in the presence of the Divine, even unto death. The song's message is one of hope and faith that immerses our souls in love, peace, and eternal joy, where beauty and wisdom are the highest treasures.


Line by Line Meaning

Jesus, joy of man's desiring
You, Jesus, are the source of joy that humans long for.


Holy wisdom, love most bright
You possess the perfect blend of divine wisdom and love, shining brighter than anything else.


Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Our souls are pulled towards you, Jesus, as we strive to become better people.


Soar to uncreated light
Our souls take flight towards the eternal light of heaven, which was never created and has always existed.


Word of God, our flesh that fashioned
You, Jesus, are the Word of God made flesh, and you created our bodies.


With the fire of life impassioned
You imbue us with the vitality and passion of life itself.


Striving still to truth unknown
We continue to seek the truth about you, Jesus, and your teachings, even if we can never fully comprehend it.


Soaring, dying round Thy throne
Even as we fly towards your heavenly throne, we must accept that our earthly lives will eventually come to an end.


Through the way where hope is guiding
Hope shows us the path to follow as we seek to be closer to you, Jesus.


Hark, what peaceful music rings
We can hear the beautiful and calming music of heaven as we follow the path of hope.


Where the flock, in Thee confiding
Your faithful followers trust in you fully, Jesus.


Drink of joy from deathless springs
Those who have faith in you, Jesus, will be able to drink in the everlasting joy and happiness of heaven.


Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure
The most beautiful and pleasurable things in heaven belong to those who have put their trust in you.


Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure
The ultimate treasure in heaven is the wisdom and knowledge that you, Jesus, can offer to your followers.


Thou dost ever lead Thine own
You, Jesus, will always guide and take care of your faithful followers.


In the love of joys unknown
Even though we can't fully grasp the incredible happiness and love of heaven while we are on earth, we trust that it exists and awaits us in the future.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH, JS BACH, DAVID DELARGY, MIKE HEDGES, SARA HERBERT, SALLI ISAAK, EUGENE O'HAGAN, MARTIN O'HAGAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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