"Jesu, meine Freude" ([ˈjeːzu ˈmaɪnə ˈfʁɔʏdə]; Jesus, my joy) is a hymn in German, written by Johann Franck in 1650,[1] with a melody, Zahn No.

Several English translations have been made of the hymn, including Catherine Winkworth's "Jesu, priceless treasure" in 1869,[2] and it has appeared in around 40 hymnals.

The theme of turning away from the world and to Jesus made the hymn suitable for funerals, seen as the ultimate turning away from the world: The first stanza sets the theme of love to Jesus and the desire to be united with him, who is named Lamb, as in Revelation 5:6, and Bridegroom, based on Revelation 22:17.

[6] It is a parody of the love song "Flora, meine Freude", published in 1645 by Heinrich Albert, organist at the Königsberg Cathedral.

[7] The second stanza describes the protection of Jesus against threats by Satan, enemies, thunder, hell and sin, all pictured in drastic images.

The third stanza repeats three times Trotz (defiance), facing the enemies "old dragon" (alter Drachen), death (Tod), and fear (Furcht).

The fifth stanza repeats four times "Gute Nacht" (Good night), to existence in the world, to sins, to pride and pomp, and to a life of vice.

[11] The most prolific arranger of the tune was Christoph Graupner, who, between 1709 and 1753 produced 36 original settings for performance within his cantatas for Sundays and feast days of the church calendar.

[14] Characteristic of many of Graupner's chorale settings, he often accompanies Jesu, meine Freude with virtuoso instrumental parts.

[16] Scored for five vocal parts—two sopranos (S), alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B)—Bach alternates the stanzas of the chorale and text from Paul's epistle to the Romans.

[6][16] Bach also used the tune as a cantus firmus, played by a trumpet, in an aria of his cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 (1714).

[9] The closing chorale of cantata Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten in meinem Namen, BWV 87, (1725) is a stanza from a hymn by Heinrich Müller on the same tune.

God's great pow'r Guards ev'ry hour; Earth and all its depths adore Him, Silent bow before Him.

[9] Later chorale preludes included a work by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg,[9] while Johann Gottfried Müthel wrote variations in D minor on the tune.

[22] Steven Sametz composed a Fantasia on "Jesu, meine Freude" for SATB choir and digitally delayed treble instrument in 2009.