The phrase "O God of love, to Thee we hymn" is the opening line of a well-known English translation of a German hymn of consecration. Here's its history: 1. **The Original German Hymn:** * **Title:** "Dir, dir, o Herr, will ich mich ergeben" (meaning "To Thee, to Thee, O Lord, I will surrender myself"). * **Author:** **Philipp Spitta** (1801-1859), a German Lutheran theologian and hymn writer. * **Date:** It was written in **1833** and first published in his collection "Psalter und Harfe" (Psalter and Harp) in 1833. * **Theme:** The hymn is a profound expression of personal devotion, surrender to God's will, trust in divine love, and a desire to live completely for Christ. 2. **The English Translation:** * **Translator:** The most common and influential English translation that begins "O God of love, to Thee we hymn" (or "to Thee I hymn") was done by **Richard Massie** (1800-1887), an English hymn translator. * **Date:** Massie's translation first appeared in his collection "Martin Luther's Spiritual Songs" in **1854**. * **Variations:** While Massie's original often began "O God of love, to Thee **I** hymn," the "we" version became very popular for congregational singing, adapting the personal declaration into a communal one. Other translators, such as Catherine Winkworth, also translated parts of Spitta's hymn, but Massie's is the source of this particular opening line. 3. **The Tune:** * The hymn is commonly associated with a German melody, often simply called **"Spitta"** (after the author) or "Dir, dir, o Herr." * This tune is frequently attributed to **Philipp Friedrich Silcher** (1789-1860). In summary, "O God of love, to Thee we hymn" is the English translation (primarily by Richard Massie, 1854) of Philipp Spitta's (1833) German hymn "Dir, dir, o Herr, will ich mich ergeben," expressing deep personal and communal consecration to God.