諸聖詩中，Charles Wesley 的 “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” 是我最喜愛之一。少時寄宿學校早會，牧師時會選唱。威爾士 Blaenwern 的樂版，小教堂管風琴伴奏，特別宏美。

選唱傳統英文聖詩，常遇到不大合意的中文翻譯歌詞。國語還能容，若唱以廣東話，首先困難，是克服九音的聲韻要求。但這並不打緊，不合韻還可唱得起來。有些譯本，為了符合聲韻，直接放棄文意，強把合韻的句子配上去，出來的格調反像普通現代流行曲。

想唱用又不喜原譯，就索性修改。這首 Wesleyan hymn，中譯《神聖之愛超乎萬愛》。中文唱，普遍配以 John Zundel 的曲譜，我稍試修改。

拙譯如下：

神聖之愛超乎萬愛，天上喜樂降下來
Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of Heav’n to earth come down.
懇求屈尊居我心內，信實與慈愛冠蓋
Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.
耶穌祢有慈悲憐憫，恩愛無垠日日新
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love Thou art.
奇妙救恩惠然來臨，進入我等戰慄心
Visit us with Thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.

懇求保惠神風聖靈，吹化每分煩惱情
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast.
尋著應許甜美安寧，永生基業得繼承
Let us all in Thee inherit, let us find Thy promised rest.
懇求除我愛罪心懷，自始至終漸成聖
Take away the love of sinning, Alpha and Omega be.
信德佳果美如初昔，心靈登達自由境
End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

全能上主施爾救拯，賜我活潑新生命
Come, Almighty, to deliver, let us all thy life receive.
我心主殿願主常臨，長隨我身不離影
Suddenly return, and never, nevermore they temples leave.
我願時時專主侍主，猶如眾天使天兵
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above.
祈禱頌揚喜樂不停，完全愛光榮歡慶
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

主所完備新造之民，純全無瑕永潔淨
Finish, then, thy new creation; true and spotless let us be.
得以復享造物計意，得見救贖大功成
Let us see thy great salvation, perfectly restored in thee.
更新變化榮上加榮，身列天班於天庭
Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place,
一日主前欣奉華冕，奇愛頌讚樂忘形
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.

傳統聖詩，當代演繹，絕對應從配樂著手，但首先是歌詞，詞意感人，唱上通順，詩曲才能歷久彌新。