Sunday, December 22, 2024

"Gott sei uns gnädig und" (#172)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Gott sei uns gnädig und barmherzig,
und geb uns seinen göttlichen Segen.

2 Er laß über uns sein Antlitz leuchten,
daß wir auf Erden erkennen seine Wege.

3 Es segne uns Gott, unser Gott,
es segne uns Gott und geb uns seinen Frieden.  Amen.
My prose translation:
1 May God be merciful and compassionate to us
And give us His divine blessing.

2 He lets His face shine over us
So that we on earth recognize His ways.

3 God, our God, blesses us;
God blesses us and gives us His peace.  Amen.
Part of the second verse refers to Numbers 6:25:  "The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you."

There are no author or publication data for this text.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to "its own tune."

Sunday, December 15, 2024

"Es wollt uns Gott genädig" (#171)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Es wollt uns Gott genädig sein
und seinen Segen geben;
sein Antlitz uns mit hellem Schein
erleucht zum ewgen Leben,
daß wir erkennen seine Werke
und was ihm liebt auf Erden,
und Jesus Christus Heil und Stärk
bekannt den Heiden werden
und sie zu Gott bekehren.

2 So danken, Gott, und loben dich
die Heiden über alle,
und alle Welt die freue sich
und sing mit großem Schalle,
daß du auf Erden Richter bist
und läßst die Sünd nicht walten,
dein Wort die Hut und Weide ist,
die alles Volk erhalten,
in rechter Bahn zu wallen.

3 Es danke, Gott, und lobe dich
das Volk in guten Thaten;
das Land bringt Frucht und bessert sich,
dein Wort is wohl gerathen.
Uns segen Vater und der Sohn,
uns segen Gott der Heilig Geist,
dem alle Welt die Ehre thu,
für ihm sich fürchte allermeist.
Nun sprecht von Herzen:  Amen.

Ps. 67.  Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
My prose translation:
1 God wants to be merciful to us
And give His blessing;
With bright light His face
Shines on us to eternal life
So that we recognize His works
And what loves Him on earth
And [so that] Jesus Christ as salvation and strength
Will be confessed to the heathens
And convert them to God.

2 So, God, the heathens praise You
Above all,
And the whole world [praises You], which rejoices
And sings with a great sound,
That You are judge on the earth
And do not let sin prevail;
Your Word is protection and pasture,
Which preserves all people
To go in the right path.

3 The people thank and praise You, God,
In good deeds;
The land brings forth fruit and improves;
Your word is well met.
The Father and the Son bless us;
God the Holy Ghost blesses us,
To Whom all the world does honor;
Fear Him most of all.
Now speak from the heart:  Amen.

Ps. 67.  Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
Part of the first verse ("sein Antlitz uns mit hellem Schein / erleucht" "With bright light His face / Shines on us") seems to be taken from Numbers 6:25:  "The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you."

This hymn appears as "May God Bestow on Us His Grace" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#500) and The Lutheran Service Book (with two tunes, #823 and #824) and as "May God Embrace Us with His Grace" in Lutheran Worship (#288).  In all of these, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own tune," although somehow it changed from "Es wollt..." to "Es wolle..." in LW and LSB.  LSB also pairs it with "Elvet Banks" (#824).

I haven't gotten that far yet in recording the tunes in TLH, but here's an arrangement of the tune from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, December 8, 2024

"Es spricht der Unweisen M." (#170)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl:
den rechten Gott wir meinen;
doch ist ihr Herz Unglaubens voll,
mit That sie ihn verneinen.
Ihr Wesen ist verderbet zwar,
für Gott ist es ein Greuel gar,
es thut ihr keiner kein gut.

2 Gott selbst vom Himmel sah herab
auf aller Menschen Kinden;
zu schauen sie, er sich begab,
ob er jemand würd finden,
der sein Verstand gerichtet hätt,
mit Ernst nach Gottes Worten thät
und fragt nach seinem Willen.

3 Da war niemand auf rechter Bahn,
sie warn all ausgeschritten;
ein jeder ging nach seinem Bahn
und hielt verlorne Sitten.
Es thät ihr keiner doch kein gut,
wiewohl gar viel betrog der Muth,
ihr Thun sollt Gott gefallen.

4 Wie lang wollen unwissen sein,
die solche Müh aufladen,
und fressen dafür das Volk mein
und nährn sich mit seim Schaden?
Es steht ihr Trauen nicht auf Gott,
sie rufen ihm nicht in der Noth,
sie wolln sich selbst versorgen.

5 Darum ist ihr Herz nimmer still
und steht allzeit in Furchten;
Gott bei den Frommen bleiben will,
dem sie mit Glauben g'horchen.
Ihr aber schmäht des Armen Rath
und höhnet alles, was er sagt,
daß Gott sein Trost ist worden.

6 Wer soll Israel, dem armen,
zu Zion Heil erlangen?
Gott wird sich seins Volks erbarmen
und lösen die Gefangen.
Das wird er thun durch seinen Sohn,
davon wird Jakob Wonne han
und Israel sich freuen.

Ps. 14. Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
My prose translation:
1 The mouth of the unwise speaks:
We refer to the true God;
Yet their heart is full of unbelief;
With deeds, they deny Him.
But their being is corrupted;
For God, it is an absolute horror;
It does no one any good.

2 God Himself lookt down from heaven
On all the children of men;
He proceeded to consider them,
Whether He would find someone
Who had directed his mind,
Would act with earnestness according to God's words,
And asks after His will.

3 There was no one on the right path;
They had all walkt out;
One went after his own path
And kept lost customs.
But it does none of them any good,
Although daring completely deceived many;
Their actions should please God.

4 How long will those loaded with such trouble
Be unknowing
And for it devour my people
And feed themselves with its harm?
Their trust does not stand in god;
They do not call Him in their distress;
They want to take care of themselves.

5 Therefore, their heart is never still
And always stands in fear;
God will remain with the devout,
Those who obey in faith.
You, however, disparage the advice of the poor
And mock everything that he says,
That God is become his comfort.

6 Who should attain salvation
For Israel, for the poor, in Zion?
God will have pity on His people
And release the captives.
He will do this through His Son;
From this Jacob will have delight
And Israel will rejoice.

Ps. 14. Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
I left "wohl" out of my translation of the first verse.  I often don't know quite how to translate it (translating it as "well" certainly doesn't fit this context), and its purposes here seem to be just to fill out the line and set up the rhyme for "voll."

Normally, I would translate "schauen" (in the second verse) as "look."  I'd already translated "sah" as "lookt," though, so I translated "schauen" as "consider."

I had to shuffle some elements in the first two lines of the fourth verse to get a smoother English translation.  I'm not sure if it's very clear, but the antecedent of "its" ("And feed themselves with its harm?") is "my people" from the previous line.

I also shuffled some elements in the first two lines of the sixth verse.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to "its own tune."  Here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, December 1, 2024

"Erhalt uns deine Lehre" (#169)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Erhalt uns deine Lehre,
Herr, zu der letzten Zeit,
erhalt dein Reich, vermehre
dein edle Christenheit;
erhalt standhaften Glauben,
der Hoffnung Leitsternstrahl;
laß uns dein Wort nicht rauben
in diesem Jammerthal.

2 Erhalt dein Ehr und wehre
dem, der dir widerspricht,
erleucht, Herr, und bekehre,
allwissend ewig Licht,
was dich bisher nicht kennet,
entdecke doch der Welt
(der du dich Licht genennet),
was einig dir gefällt.

3 Erhalt, was du gebauet
und durch dein Blut erkauft,
was du dir hast vertrauet,
die Kirch, auf welch anlauft
der grimme Sturm des Drachen,
sei du ihr Schutz und Wall,
daß, ob die Welt will krachen,
sie nimmermehr verfall.

4 Erhalt, Herr, deine Schafe,
der grimme Wolf kommt an;
erwach aus deinem Schlafe,
weil niemand retten kann
ohn dich, du großer Hirte.
Leit uns auf gute Weid,
treib, nähr, erfreu, bewirthe
uns in der wüsten Haid.

5 Erhalt uns, Herr, dein Erbe,
dein werthes Heiligthum;
zerreiß, zerschmeiß, verderbe,
was wider deinen Ruhm.
Laß dein Gesetz uns führen,
gönn uns dein Himmelbrod [sic],
laß deinen Schmuck uns zieren,
heil uns durch deinen Tod.

6 Erhalt und laß uns hören
dein Wort, das selig macht,
den Spiegel deiner Ehren,
das Licht in dieser Nacht;
daß dieser Brunn uns tränke,
der Himmelsthau uns netz,
daß diese Richtschnur lenke,
der Honigseim ergötz.

7 Erhalt in Sturm und Wellen
dein Häuslein, laß doch nicht
uns Wind und Wetter fällen,
steur selbst dein Schiff und richt
den Lauf, daß wir erreichen
die Anfurt nach der Zeit,
und hilf uns Segel streichen
in selger Ewigkeit.

Adam Greigen, +1660.
My prose translation:
1 Preserve Your teaching for us,
Lord, to the last time;
Preserve Your kingdom; increase
Your noble Christendom;
Preserve steadfast faith,
The light of the guiding star of hope;
Let Your word not be taken away from us
In this vale of tears.

2 Preserve Your glory and resist
Those who speak against You;
Enlighten, Lord, and convert,
All-knowing, eternal Light,
Those who did not know You so far;
Discover still of the world
(Of which You are called the Light)
Those who please You.

3 Preserve what You have built
And bought by Your blood,
What You trust in for Yourself,
The church, on which runs
The fierce storm of the dragon;
May You be her protection and rampart
So that, if the world will burst,
She will nevermore fall.

4 Preserve, Lord, Your sheep;
The fierce wolf approaches;
Wake from Your sleep
Because no one can save
Without You, You great shepherd.
Lead us on good pasture,
Guide, nurture, gladden, feed
Us in the desolate heath.

5 Preserve us, Lord, Your heirs,
Your dear sacred ones;
Tear, smash, ruin
Whatever is against Your glory.
Let Your law lead us;
Allow us Your bread of Heaven;
Let Your jewelry adorn us;
Heal us by Your death.

6 Preserve and let us hear
Your word, which makes blessed,
The mirror of Your glory,
The light in this night;
So that this well waters us,
The dew of Heaven moistens us,
So that this guiding principle pilots;
The honey delights.

7 Preserve in storm and waves
Your household; let not
Wind and weather cut us down;
Pilot Your ship Yourself and direct
Its course, so that we reach
The haven after the time
And help us spread the sail
In blessed eternity.

Adam Greigen, +1660.
I translated "widerspricht" in the second verse as "speak against," which is somewhere in between my dictionary's suggestions of contradict and oppose.  At the end of the verse, I translated "was einig dir gefällt" as "those who please You," but it's literally something more like "what few please You."

"Erwach aus deinem Schlafe" ("wake from Your sleep") in the fourth verse sort of contradicts Psalm 121:4:  "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."  For "treib" later in the verse, my dictionary suggested "drive," but this seemed too intense for this context, so I translated it as "guide."

For "Heiligthum" in the fifth verse, my dictionary suggested "(holy) shrine," "(sacred) relic," and "something sacred."  I translated it as "sacred ones."

This hymn appears as "Preserve Thy Word, O Savior" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#264), albeit with the fourth verse omitted.  As far as I can tell, it's not in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book.  The Gesangbuch notes that the text is sung to the tune "Herzlich thut mich verlang[en]."  Here's the TLH arrangement:

Sunday, November 24, 2024

"Dreifaltig-heilig großer G." (#168)

This is the first hymn in a sub-section of "Of the Word of God and of the Christian Church":  "Bei der Einweihung einer Kirche" ("At the Consecration of a Church").

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Dreifaltig-heilig großer Gott,
schau doch von deiner Höhe,
wie hier vor dir, Herr Zebaoth,
dein armes Häuflein stehe;
merk auf das Seufzen und Gebet,
das wir von dieser heilgen Stätt
vor deinen Thron dir bringen.

2 Wir haben dieses Gotteshaus
gebauet deinem Namen,
mit dir ist es gezieret aus,
daß wir samt unserm Samen
die heilge Satzung und dein Wort
an diesem dir geweihten Ort
zur Seelen Heil anhören.

3 Der Grund ist selber Jesus Christ,
Apostel und Propheten,
ihr Wort der Pfeiler Grundvest ist,
darauf in allen Nöthen,
wie hoch die List der Feinde geht,
die Gottesstadt doch lustig steht
mir ihrem Zionsbrunnen.

4 Hier wolln wir unsre Kinderlein
dir in der Taufe schenken,
die Katechismuslehre rein
in ihre Herzen senken,
sie in des wahren Glaubens Frucht,
in deiner Furcht, in Christenzucht
als Himmelspflanzen ziehen.

5 Hier wollen wir in wahrer Reu,
auf tiefgebognen Knieen,
die Sünden berichten ohne Scheu
und hier zum Kreuze fliehen,
abbitten die blutrothe Schuld,
Vergebung suchen, Gnad und Huld
in Christi Blut und Wunden.

6 Beim heilgen Altar werden sich
die müden Seelen laben,
da unser Heiland, Jesus Christ,
uns Sünder will begaben
mit seinem wahren Leib und Blut,
in Tod gegeben uns zu gut
und uns zum Heil vergossen.

7 Hier segnet man den Ehstand ein,
man bittet für die Kranken;
dies Haus wird stets erfüllet sein
mit Loben und mit Danken;
hier wird man den Regierungsstand,
Kirch, Schulen, Häuser, Stadt und Land
dir täglich anempfehlen.

8 Herr, hebe nun zu segnen an
dies Haus, nach dir genennet,
daß es kein Feind zerstören kann,
wie hoch sein Eifer brennet.
Stör alles, was uns stören will,
laß uns in dieser Zionstill
dich sonder Ende loben.

9 Lob, Ehr und Dank und Herrlichkeit
sei dir, o Herr, gesungen,
daß bei der letzbetrübten Zeit
es uns so weit gelungen.
Gib, daß, was wir jetzt fangen an,
nicht eher Ende nehmen kann,
bis Erd und Himmel brechen.

Hans von Assig, +1694.
My prose translation:
1 Great, thrice-holy God,
Look from your height
How here before You, Lord of hosts,
Your poor crowd stands;
Pay attention to the sighing and prayer
That we from this holy place
Bring to You before Your throne.

2 We have built this house of God
For Your Name; with You is it adorned,
So that together with our offspring
We [may] hear the holy statutes and Your word
In this placed dedicated to You,
For the salvation of the soul.

3 The foundation is Jesus Christ Himself;
Apostles and prophets,
Their word is the foundation of the pillars;
On it in all distress,
However high the cunning of the foe goes,
The city of God still stands merrily
With its springs of Zion.

4 Here we want to give our little children
To You in baptism,
To sink the pure doctrine of the catechism
Into their hearts,
To draw them into the fruit of the true faith,
Into the fear of You, into Christian discipline
As plants of Heaven.

5 Here we want, in true repentance,
On deeply bent knees,
To repent our sin without timidity
And here flee to the cross,
To ask pardon for the blood-red guilt,
To seek forgiveness, mercy, and grace
In Christ's blood and wounds.

6 At the holy altar
Will the tired souls be revived,
Where our Savior, Jesus Christ,
Wants us sinners to go,
With His true body and blood,
Given in death for our good
And shed for our salvation.

7 Here one blesses marriage;
One prays for the sick;
This house will always be filled
With praise and with thanks;
Here will one 
Daily commend to You
The government, church, schools, houses, city, and country.

8 Lord, rise now to bless
This house, named after You,
So that no enemy can destroy it,
However high his zeal burns.
Disrupt everything that wants to disturb us;
Let us in this calm of Zion
Praise You without end.

9 Praise, honor, and thanks and splendor
Be sung to You, O Lord,
That in the last, troubled time
It succeeds for us so widely.
Grant that what we now begin
Cannot take a sooner end
Until Earth and Heaven break.

Hans von Assig, +1694.
The line "die Sünden berichten ohne Scheu" in the fifth verse is literally something like "to tell of the sin without timidity," but based on the context, I translated "berichten" as "repent."  I also supplied a possessive adjective in place of the definite article ("our sin" instead of just "the sin").

I shuffled around some elements in the last few lines of the seventh verse to get a smoother English translation.

The verb "stören" appears twice in the eighth verse, but I translated it differently, first as "disrupt" and then as "disturb."  I translated "Zionstill" as "calm of Zion," but I'm not sure this is entirely accurate.  I also translated "sonder" as "without" based more on the context than anything else (although it seems to be a cognate with the Dutch zonder, which means without).  I couldn't find a prepositional use of the word in my dictionary.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to the tune "Es ist das Heil uns kommen [her]."  Here's the TLH arrangement:


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, November 17, 2024

"Christe, du Beistand deiner" (#167)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Christe, du Beistand deiner Kreuzgemeine,
eile, mit Hilf und Rettung uns erscheine;
steure den Feinden, ihre Blutgerichte
mache zu nichte.  :,:

2 Streite doch selber für uns arme Kinder,
wehre dem Teufel, seine Macht verhinder;
alles, was kämpfet wider deine Glieder,
stürze danieder.  :,:

3 Friede bei Kirch und Schulen uns beschere,
Friede zugleich der Polizei gewähre,
Friede dem Herzen, Friede dem Gewissen
gib zu genießen.  :,:

4 Also wird zeitlich deine Güt erhoben,
also wird ewig und ohn Ende loben dich,
o du Wächter deiner armen Heerde,
Himmel und Erde.  :,:

Math. Apelles v. Löwenstern, 1644.
My prose translation:
1 Christ, You assistance of Your congregation of the cross,
Hurry; appear to us with help and rescue;
Drive away the enemies; their court of blood
Bring to nothing.  :,:

2 Fight Yourself for us poor children still;
Defend against the devil; hinder his might;
Everything that wrestles against Your members
Plunge below.  :,:

3 Bless us with peace at church and school;
Grant also peace to the police;
Peace for the heart, peace for the conscience
Give [us] to enjoy.  :,:

4 Thus will Your goodness be uplifted at length;
Thus will You be praised eternally and without end,
O You watchman of Your poor flock,
By Heaven and earth.  :,:

Math. Apelles v. Löwenstern, 1644.
Almost by accident, I translated "Kreuzgemeine" and "Blutgerichte" in the first verse so that they have parallel structures ("congregation of the cross" and "court of blood"), which helps to highlight their opposite natures.

This may be obvious, but I'll note it anyway:  "Yourself" ("selber") in the first line of the second verse is an intensive pronoun, not a reflexive one.

I translated "zeitlich" in the fourth verse as "at length," but I'm not sure this is completely accurate.  In the same verse, I flipt "loben dich... Himmel und Erde" from active to passive voice to accommodate the structure better; instead of "Thus will eternally and without end praise You... Heaven and earth" with its inverted structure and great distance between the verb and the compound subject, I have "Thus will you be praised eternally... By Heaven and earth."

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to "its own tune."

Sunday, November 10, 2024

"Ach Gott vom Himmel, sieh" (#166)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Ach Gott vom Himmel, sieh darein
und laß dich des erbarmen:
wie wenig sind der Heilgen dein,
verlassen sind wir Armen.
Dein Wort man nicht läßt haben wahr,
der Glaub ist auch verloschen gar
bei allen Menschenkindern.

2 Sie lehren eitel falsche List,
was eigen Witz erfindet;
ihr Herz nicht eines Sinnes ist,
in Gottes Wort gegründet.
Der wählet dies, der ander das,
sie trennen uns ohn alle Maß
und gleißen schön von außen.

3 Gott wollt ausrotten alle Lahr,
die falschen Schein uns lehren,
darzu ihr Zung stolz offenbar
spricht:  Trotz, wer wills uns wehren?
Wir haben Recht uns Macht allein,
was wir setzen, das gilt gemein;
wer ist, der uns soll meistern?

4 Darum spricht Gott: ich muß auf sein,
die Armen sind verstöret,
ihr Seufzen dringt zu mir herein
ich hab ihr Klag erhöret.
Mein heilsam Wort soll auf den Plan,
getrost und frisch sie griefen an
und sein die Kraft der Armen.

5 Das Silber, durchs Feur siebenmal
bewährt, wird lauter funden;
am Gotteswort man warten soll
desgleichen alle Stunden;
es will durchs Kreuz bewähret sein,
da wird sein Kraft erkannt und Schein
und leucht stark in die Lande.

6 Das wollst du, Gott, bewahren rein
für diesem argen G'schlechte,
und laß uns dir befohlen sein,
daß sichs in uns nicht flechte.
Der gottlos Hauf sich umher findt,
wo diese lose Leute sind
in deinem Volk erhaben.

Ps. 12. Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
My prose translation:
1 O God from Heaven, look in
And let Yourself have mercy:
How few are Your holy ones;
We poor are lost.
One does not let [us] have Your word true;
Faith has also been completely extinguished
With all the children of men.

2 They teach vain, false cunning
That makes up its own joke;
Their heart is not of one mind,
Grounded in God's word.
One chooses this; an-other that;
They divide us without any moderation
And gleam beautifully on the outside.

3 God wants to wipe out all [Lahr]
Who teach us false appearances,
To which their proud tongue plainly
Speaks:  Defiance, who will resist us?
We alone have authority and might;
What we set up really counts;
Who is there who should master us?

4 Therefore God speaks:  I must be up;
The poor are distraught;
Their sighing reaches me here;
I have heard their lament.
My salutary word should [be] on the plain,
Touch them safely and freshly,
And be the strength of the poor.

5 The silver, tested seven times by the fire,
Will be found pure;
On God's word one should
Likewise wait at all hours;
It will be proven through the cross,
Where its power and appearance will be recognized
And shine strongly in the land.

6 God, You want to keep that pure
For this wicked generation,
And let us be commanded by You
So that it is not twisted in us.
The godless swarm finds itself around,
Where these malicious people are
Elevated into Your nation.

Ps. 12. Dr. M. Luther, 1524.
I had some troubles with the third verse.  1) I couldn't find a translation for "Lahr."  I think it may mean something like teacher or doctrine, but I was sufficiently unsure just to leave it in brackets.  2) I don't understand how "Trotz" functions in the clause "Trotz, wer wills uns wehren?"  It can't be a preposition because it's not followed by an object, but it seems strange to have a noun set apart by itself here.  I translated the clause as "Defiance, who will resist us?" but I'm not very confident about it.  I'm not sure I really understood "wer wills uns wehren" either.  3) I'm pretty sure that "stolz" in the line "darzu ihr Zung stolz offenbar / spricht..." could function as either an adverb ("proudly") or a post-positive adjective ("proud").  Since there's already an adverb in the clause ("offenbar," "plainly"), I went with the latter and translated it as "To which their proud tongue plainly / Speaks...."

This hymn appears as "O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#260), but as far as I can tell, it's not in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book.  In TLH, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own tune."  Here's the TLH arrangement:


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, November 3, 2024

"Ach, bleib bei uns, Herr" (#165)

This is the first hymn in a new section:  "Von dem Worte Gottes und der christlichen Kirche." ("Of the Word of God and of the Christian Church")

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Ach, bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ,
weil es nun Abend worden ist,
dein göttlich Wort, das helle Licht,
laß ja bei uns auslöschen nicht.

2 In dieser letztn betrübten Zeit
verleih uns, Herr, Beständigkeit,
daß wir dein Wort und Sacrament
rein b'halten bis an unser End.

3 Herr Jesu, hilf, dein Kirch erhalt,
wir sind gar sicher, faul und kalt;
gib Glück und Heil zu deinem Wort,
damit es schall an allem Ort.

4 Erhalt uns nur bei deinem Wort
und wehr des Teufels Trug und Mord.
Gib deiner Kirchen Gnad und Huld,
Fried, Einigkeit, Muth und Geduld.

5 Ach Gott, es geht gar übel zu,
auf dieser Erd ist keine Ruh,
viel Sekten und viel Schwärmerei
auf einen Haufen kommt herbei.

6 Den stolzen Geistern wehre doch,
die sich mit G'walt erheben hoch
und bringen stets was neues her,
zu fälschen deine rechte Lehr.

7 Die Sach und Ehr, Herr Jesu Christ,
nicht unser, sondern dein ja ist;
darum, so steh du denen bei,
die sich auf dich verlassen frei.

8 Dein Wort is unsers Herzens Trutz
und deiner Kirchen wahrer Schutz;
dabei erhalt uns, lieber Herr,
daß wir nichts anders suchen mehr.

9 Gib, daß wir lebn in deinem Wort
und darauf ferner fahren fort
von hinnen aus dem Jammerthal
zu dir in deinen Himmelssal.

Dr. Nikolaus Selnecker, 1587.
Vers 3-9 späterer Zusatz.
My prose translation:
1 Oh, stay with us, Lord Jesus Christ,
Because it is now become evening;
Your divine word, the bright light,
Let it indeed not be extinguished with us.

2 In this last, troubled time,
Grant us perseverance, Lord,
So that we keep Your Word and Sacrament
Pure until our end.

3 Lord Jesus, help; preserve Your church;
We are, quite surely, rotten and cold;
Give success and well-being to Your word
So that it resounds in every place.

4 Keep us only by Your word
And defend against the deceit and murder of the devil.
Give to Your church mercy and grace,
Peace, unity, courage, and patience.

5 O God, it goes completely to no good;
On this earth is no rest;
Many sects and much fanaticism
For a swarm comes along.

6 Defend still against the proud spirits
Who lift themselves high with violence
And constantly bring something new here
To falsify Your true doctrine.

7 The matters and glory, Lord Jesus Christ,
Are not ours but indeed Yours;
Therefore, You stand with those
Who freely rely on You.

8 Your word is the defense of our heart
And the true protection of Your church;
With it, preserve us, dear Lord,
So that we no longer seek anything else.

9 Grant that we live in Your word
And continuously go further in it
From here out of the vale of tears
To You in Your hall of Heaven.

Dr. Nikolaus Selnecker, 1587.
Verses 3-9 later addition.
Alphabetically (in German), this is the first hymn in the Gesangbuch.

This hymn appears as "Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#292) and The Lutheran Service Book (#585) and as "Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay" in Lutheran Worship (#344).  The versions in LW and LSB are abbreviated; I think both are verses 1-4, 6, and 8 of the above.

In all three hymnals, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own tune."  Here's the arrangement from TLH:


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

 

Sunday, October 27, 2024

"Herr Jesu, aller Menschen" (#164)

This is the first (and only) hymn in a new section:  "An den Gedächtnißtagen der heiligen Apostel" ("On the Commemoration Days of the Holy Apostles")

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Herr Jesu, aller Menschen Hort,
durch dessen heilig theures Wort
wir himmelan gelangen,
wir rühmen deine große Gnad,
die unter uns sich nicht nur hat
erst neulich angefangen.

2 Du selber hast ja vor der Zeit
im Stande deiner Niedrigkeit
das Wort uns fürgetragen,
das Wort, das unsre Seel erfreut
und prediget die Seligkeit
mit kräftigem Behagen.

3 Als aber nach vollendtem Lauf
die Zeit war, daß du himmelauf
zum Vater solltest kehren,
hast du aus hochbedachten Rath
geordnet, die an deiner Statt
dein Wort uns sollen lehren.

4 Zuerst hast du das Predigtamt
durch die Apostel insgesamt
geordnet zu verwalten,
daß, was du selber ausgestreut,
durch sie werd ferner ausgebreit
und deine Kirch erhalten.

5 O frommer Gott, wie haben sie
sich so getreulich je und je
in deinem Dienst erwiesen,
daß sie auch, was Gefahr und Noth,
noch was gebieret Schand und Tod,
sich nicht erschrecken ließen!

6 Was wird für Marter ausgedacht,
die nicht an ihnen ist vollbracht,
wenn sie dein Wort geredet!
Sie sind mit Ruthen ausgestäupt,
sie sind gesteiniget, enthäupt
und jämmerlich getödtet.

7 O Freudigkeit, o Heldenmuth!
Sie haben auch des Feuers Gluth,
und was noch mehr, erlitten
und also für dein göttlich Ehr
und für die Wahrheit deiner Lehr
bis auf das Blut gestritten.

8 So auch, da folgens nach und nach
viel hunderttausend Ungemach
der Teufel hat erwecket
den Lehrern in der Christenheit,
ja allen Christen allezeit,
hat sie doch nichts erschrecket.

9 Sie sind durch Kluft und Berg gejagt,
mit vieler Angst und Leid geplagt,
man hat sie preisgegeben
der Löwen und der Wölfe Grimm
und mit noch mehrerm Ungestüm
vertrieben aus dem Leben.

10 Doch aber hat dein theures Wort
auf solche Weise fort und fort
nur täglich zugenommen;
so ist das Wort der Seligkeit
nur desto stärker ausgebreit
und weiter fortgekommen.

11 So hat die ganze Welt erkennt,
daß du der Kirchen Regiment
selbst hast in deinen Händen,
daß weder Feuer oder Schwert
die Schäflein deiner Weid und Heerd
nicht können von dir wenden.

12 Nun, Herr, wie solches jederzeit
mit hohen Dank die Christenheit
in der Gemeine preiset,
wenn wir betrachten, wie dein Wort,
so wunderlich ist kommen fort,
das unsre Seele speiset:

13 Also ist unsre Bitt an dich,
daß du, o Herr, genädiglich
noch ferner wollest walten
bei deinem Wort mit deinem Schutz
und wider aller Feinde Trutz
die Christenheit erhalten.

14 Das Evangelium, das du
uns dieser Zeit in stiller Ruh
hast reichlich lassen hören,
laß das Vertrauen gegen dir,
sowohl die Liebe für und für
in unsern Herzen mehren.

15 Wenn aber sollte mit der Zeit
Verfolgung und Trübseligkeit
auch über uns sich finden,
so hilf, daß wir auch willig sein,
wie die Apostel insgemein,
das Kreuz zu überwinden.

16 Laß uns mit einem Heldenmuth
auch gleichfalls unser Leib und Blut
für deine Lehre wagen,
damit die Nachwelt dir zu Lob
von unsers Glaubens guter Prob
auch künftig möge sagen.

17 O Herr, laß dir befohlen sein
der Christen heilge Kirchgemein,
erhalte sie auf Erden
im Krieg und Sieg, in Leid und Freud,
bis dort die Himmelsherrlichkeit
wird offenbaret werden.

M. Joh. Chr. Arnschwanger, +1696.
My prose translation:
1 Lord Jesus, treasure of all men,
Through Whose dear, holy word
We reach heavenward,
We praise Your great mercy,
Which under us has not
Just recently begun.

2 Indeed, You Yourself before time
In the position of Your lowliness
Carried the word for us,
The word that gladdens our soul
And preaches salvation
With powerful comfort.

3 But when the course of time was completed
That You should withdraw
Heavenward to the Father,
You arranged out of highly considered counsel
That in Your stead,
Your word should teach us.

4 First, You have ordered the service of preaching
To be managed
By the apostles altogether,
That what You Yourself scattered
Will by spreader father by them
And Your church be preserved.

5 O gentle God, how have they
Shown themselves more and more
So faithfully in Your service
That they have not even let themselves by frightened
By what danger and distress
And even by what shame and death have given birth to.

6 What torture will be thought of
That is not performed on them
When they have spoken Your word!
They are [ausgestäupt] with rods;
They are stoned, beheaded,
And miserably killed.

7 O joy, O heroism!
They have also the fervor of the fire,
And what's more, have suffered,
And thus for Your divine glory
And for the truth of Your teaching
Have fought until blood.

8 So also, when following gradually,
Many hundred thousand hardships
Of the devil have stirred up
The teachers in Christendom,
Yes, all Christians always,
Yet nothing has frightened them.

9 They are chased through chasm and mountain,
Plagued with much fear and suffering;
One has given them up
To the wrath of the lions and the wolves
And with still more vehemence
Driven [them] out of life.

10 But yet Your dear word has
In such a way continually
Only daily increased;
Thus is the word of salvation
Only all the more strongly spread
And advanced further.

11 Thus has the whole world recognized
That You Yourself have
The government of the church in Your hands
So that neither fire nor sword
Can turn the lambs of Your pasture and flock
From You.

12 Now, Lord, as at every time
With high thanks, the Christendom
In the congregation praises [You]
When we consider how Your word,
So wonderful, has come continually,
[On] which our soul feeds:

13 So our prayer to You is
That You, O Lord, mercifully
Will still further be at work
By Your word with Your protection
And against the defiance of all foes
Will preserve Christendom.

14 The Gospel, which You
At this time in quiet peace
Have richly let us hear,
Let faith in You,
Along with love forever,
Increase in our hearts.

15 When, however, with time,
Persecution and wretchedness
Should also find themselves over us,
So help that we are also willing,
As the apostles altogether,
To overcome the cross.

16 Let us with bravery
Likewise also venture our body and blood
For Your teaching
So that in praise to You, posterity
May speak of the good trial of our faith
Also in the future.

17 O Lord, let the holy church congregation of Christians
Be under Your command,
Preserve it on earth
In war and victory, in suffering and joy,
Until the splendor of Heaven
Will be revealed there.

M. Joh. Chr. Arnschwanger, +1696.
I'm not sure I completely understood the last couple lines of the first verse.

I rearranged some elements in the third through fifth verses to get smoother English translations.  I translated "ausgestreut" in the fourth verse as "scattered," partially because it recalls the imagery of the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-8, and Luke 8:5-8).  I couldn't find "gebieret" (in the fifth verse) in my German dictionary.  I translated it as "have given birth to" based on internet research, and so I'm not too confident in it.

I couldn't find a translation for "ausgestäupt" in the sixth verse, either, not even with internet research.

The phrase "des Feuers Gluth" in the seventh verse could be the more prosaic "the glow of the fire" or the more figurative "the fervor of the fire," which is what I went with.

I had to move around some elements in the eleventh verse to get a smoother English translation.  I also flipt "either fire or sword... can not" to "neither fire nor sword / Can."

I also had to rearrange some elements in the seventeenth verse.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to the tune "Kommt her zu mir, spricht."  Here's an arrangement from TLH (transposed from F minor to G minor):


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, October 20, 2024

"Wir danken dir, Gott, für" (#163)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Wir danken dir,
Gott, für und für
daß du dein Wort
auch diesem Ort
mit hellen Schein
erhalten rein,
und bitten dich,
laß sicherlich
je mehr und mehr
die reine Lehr
ausbreiten sich
zu deiner Ehr.

2 Der Schatz ist theur,
drum wehr und steur
der Feinde Trutz,
halt selber Schutz,
daß sie, mit List
und Mord gerüst,
das schöne Licht
auslöschen nicht.
Laß ihren Rath,
der früh und spat
läuft wider uns,
nicht finden statt.

3 Gib solche Leut,
die ungescheut
uns zeigen an
die rechte Bahn,
die du bereit
zur Seligkeit;
mit deinem Geist
ihn'n Hilfe leist,
daß nicht mit Macht
wird hergebracht
des alten Greuels
finstre Nacht,

4 Darinnen nicht
ein Fünklein Licht
in Angst und Leid
von Trost und Freud.
Dein Wort allein
kann tröstlich sein,
dasselb erhalt
bei Jung und Alt
bis an ihr End
und stürz behend,
der uns raubt
Wort und Sacrament.

Johann Heermann, +1647.
My prose translation:
1 We thank You,
God, forever,
That You keep
Your word pure
Also for this place
With bright shine,
And ask You
Let surely
More and more
The pure doctrine
Spread
To Your glory.

2 The treasure is dear
Therefore resist and drive [away]
The defiance of the enemies;
Maintain protection Yourself
So that they, prepared
With cunning and murder,
Do not extinguish
The beautiful light.
Let their council,
Which rushes against us
Early and late,
Not take place.

3 Give such people
Who unabashed
Point us to
The right path,
Which You prepare
For salvation;
With your Spirit
Give them help
So that not with might
Will the dark night
Of the old horror
Be brought,

4 In which is not
A little flash of light
Of comfort and joy
In fear and sorrow.
Your word alone
Can be comforting;
The same keeps
With young and old
Until their end
And nimbly overthrows
That which deprives us
Of Word and Sacrament.

Johann Heermann, +1647.
I had to shuffle some elements throughout the whole hymn to accommodate the very short lines.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to "its own tune."

Sunday, October 13, 2024

"Wär Gott nicht mit uns" (#162)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit,
so soll Israel sagen,
wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit,
wir hätten mußt verzagen,
die so ein armes Häuflein sind,
veracht von so viel Menschenkind,
die an uns setzen alle.

2 Auf uns ist so zornig ihr Sinn,
wo Gott hätt das zugeben,
verschlungen hätten sie uns hin
mit ganzem Leib und Leben;
wir wärn als die ein Fluth ersäuft
und über die groß Wasser läuft
und mit Gewalt verschwemmet.

3 Gott Lob und Dank, der nicht zugab,
daß ihr Schlund uns möcht fangen;
wie ein Vogel des Stricks kommt ab,
ist unser Seel entgangen,
Strick ist entzwei und wir sind frei,
des Herren Name steht uns bei,
des Gotts Himmels und Erden.

Ps. 124.  Dr. M. Luther, 1525.
My prose translation:
1 Were God not with us at this time,
So should Israel say,
Were God not with us at this time,
We would have had to despair,
Who are such a poor heap,
Scorned by so many children of men,
Who are all set against us.

2 Their feeling toward us is so angry,
Where God would have conceded it,
They would have devoured us
With [our] whole body and life;
We would be as a flood drowns
And great water overflows
And blurred with violence.

3 Praise and thanks to God, Who does not grant
That their maw may catch us;
Like a bird flown away from the rope,
Our soul has escaped;
[The] rope is cut, and we are free;
The Name of the Lord stands with us,
Of the God of heaven and earth.

Ps. 124.  Dr. M. Luther, 1525.
For "entzwei" (in the third verse), my dictionary suggests "broken" and "torn."  Neither of those really fits the context of a rope, though, so I translated it as "cut."

This hymn appears as "If God Had Not Been on Our Side" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#267), but as far as I can tell, it's not in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book.  In TLH, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own tune."  Here's the TLH arrangement:


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

Sunday, October 6, 2024

"O Herre Gott, dein göttlich" (#161)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
1 O Herre Gott,
dein göttlich Wort
ist lang verdunkelt blieben,
bis durch dein Gnad
ist uns gesagt,
was Paulus hat geschrieben
und andere
Apostel mehr
aus deim göttlichen Munde,
des danken wir
mit Fleiß, daß wir
erlebet han die Stunde.

2 Daß es mit Macht
an Tag ist bracht,
wie klärlich ist für Augen.
Ach Gott, mein Herr,
erbarm dich der,
die dich noch jetzt verleugnen
und achten sehr
auf Menschenlehr,
darin sie doch verderben;
deins Worts Verstand
mach ihn'n bekannt,
daß sie nicht ewig sterben.

3 Willst du nun fein
gut Christe sein,
so mußt du erstlich glauben:
Setz dein Vertrau,
darauf fest bau,
Hoffnung und Lieb im Glauben
allein durch Christ
zu aller Frist,
dein Nächsten lieb daneben,
das G'wissen frei,
rein Herz dabei,
das kein Kreatur kann geben.

4 Allein, Herr, du
mußt solches thun
doch gar aus lautern Gnaden;
wer sich des tröst,
der ist erlöst
und kann ihm niemand schaden.
Ob wollten gleich
Pabst, Kaiser, Reich
sie und dein Wort vertreiben,
ist doch ihr Macht
gen dir nichts g'acht,
sie werdns wohl lassen bleiben.

5 Hilf, Herre Gott,
in dieser Noth,
daß sich die auch bekehren,
die nichts betrachtn,
dein Wort verachtn
und wollens auch nicht lehren.
Sie sprechen schlecht,
es sei nicht recht,
und habens nie gelesen,
auch nicht gehört
das edle Wort.
Ists nicht ein teuflisch Wesen?

6 Ich glaub g'wiß gar,
daß es sei wahr,
was Paulus uns thut schreiben:
Es muß geschehn,
daß alls vergeh,
dein göttlich Wort soll bleiben
in Ewigkeit,
wär es auch leid
viel hart verstockten Herzen,
kehrn sich nicht um,
werden sie drum
leiden gar großen Schmerzen.

7 Gott ist mein Herr,
so bin ich der,
dem Sterben kommt zu gute,
dadurch uns hast
aus aller Last
erlöst mit deinem Blute.
Das dank ich dir,
drum wirst du mir
nach deinr Verheißung geben,
was ich dich bitt,
versag mir ni[ch]t
im Tod und auch im Leben.

8 Herr, ich hoff je,
du werdest die
in keiner Noth verlassen,
die dein Wort recht
als treue Knecht
im Herzn und Glauben fassen;
gibst ihn'n bereit
die Seligkeit
und läßt sie nicht verderben.
O Herr, durch dich
bitt ich,
laß mich fröhlich und willig sterben.

A. H. Z. W., 1527 (Nach C. Spangenberg: Paul Speratus.)
My prose translation:
1 O Lord God,
Your divine word
Has long remained darkened
Until by Your mercy
It was said to us
What Paul has written
And other
Apostles, too
Out of Your divine mouth;
Therefore, we thank [You]
With diligence that we
Have experienced the hour.

2 That it is brought
By day with might,
As clearly [as it] is for eyes.
O God, my Lord,
Have mercy on those
Who even now deny You
And pay much attention
To teachings of men,
In which they indeed perish;
Make known to them
The sense of Your word
So that they do not eternally die.

3 [If] you now want to be a fine,
Good Christian,
Then you must first believe:
Place your trust;
On it firmly build
Hope and love in faith
Through Christ alone
At all times;
In addition, love your neighbor;
The conscience free,
A pure heart with it,
No creature can give that.

4 Alone, Lord, You
Must do such,
Completely out of pure mercy;
He who comforts himself with it
Is redeemed,
And no one can harm him.
Whether alike
Pope, emperor, kingdom wanted
To drive it and Your word away,
Yet their might
Is nothing against You;
They will well let [them] remain.

5 Help, Lord God,
In this need
That those also are converted
Who consider nothing,
Despise Your word,
And also do not want to learn it.
They speak badly,
It would not be right,
And have never read it,
Not even heard
The precious word.
Is it not a devilish being?

6 I certainly completely believe
That it is true
What Paul has written us:
It must come about
That everything passes away;
Your divine word should remain
In eternity;
Hard, impenitent hearts
Would also suffer much,
Not turn back;
Therefore they will
Suffer very great pains.

7 God is my Lord,
So I am he
For whom dying comes to good,
Through which You have
Redeemed us
With Your blood out of all burdens.
For this, I thank You;
Therefore You will
According to Your promise, give me
What I ask You for;
Do not deny me
In death and also in life.

8 Lord, I ever hope
You will
Not leave in distress those
Who rightly grasp
Your word
In heart and faith as faithful servants;
[You] give them
Salvation already
And do not leave them to perish.
O Lord, through You
I ask:
Let me die cheerfully and willingly.

A. H. Z. W., 1527 (After C. Spangenberg: Paul Speratus.)
I translated "mehr" in the first verse ("und andere / Apostel mehr") as "too" ("and other / Apostles, too").  Usually, I would translate it as "more," but that didn't seem to fit with its placement or context ("and other apostles more" and "more other apostles" sound odd).

The antecedent of "sie" in the line "sie und dein Wort vertreiben" ("To drive it and Your word away") in the fourth verse is unclear.  My best guess is "Gnaden" ("mercy") from the second line.

Part of the sixth verse refers to "the word of the Lord remains forever" in 1 Peter 1:25.

I had to shuffle some elements in the sixth through eighth verses to get smoother English translations.

This hymn appears as "O God, Our Lord, Thy Holy Word" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#266) and as "O God, Our Lord, Your Holy Word" in Lutheran Worship (#341).  As far as I can tell, it's not in The Lutheran Service Book.  In both TLH and LW, the hymn appears in an abbreviated form; I believe it's verses 1, 3, 4, and 7.  In both, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the hymn is sung to "its own tune."  Here's the TLH arrangement:


And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch: