Sunday, October 10, 2021

"Herr, öffne mir die" (#5)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
Herr, öffne mir die Herzensthür,
zeuch mein Herz durch dein Wort zu dir,
laß mich dein Wort bewahren rein,
laß mich dein Kind und Erbe sein.

Dein Wort bewegt des Herzens Grund,
dein Wort macht Leib und Seel gesund,
dein Wort ist, das mein Herz erfreut,
dein Wort gibt Trost und Seligkeit

Ehr sei dem Vater und dem Sohn,
dem Heilgen Geist in einem Thron,
der heiligen Dreieinigkeit
sei Lob und Preis in Ewigkeit.

D. J. Olearius, 1671.
There was only one word I couldn't find a translation for:
Lord, open for me the heart's door
[zeuch] my heart to you through Your Word,
Let Your Word keep me pure,
Let me be Your child and heir.

Your Word moves the foundations of my heart,
Your Word makes body and soul healthy,
Your Word is that which gladdens my heart,
Your Word gives comfort and salvation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
To the Holy Ghost on one throne,
To the holy Trinity
Be honor and praise for eternity.
The second verse exhibits anaphora (the repeated "Your Word"), and this illustrates the writer's focus on God's Word.  The third line bears some resemblance to the first half of Psalm 19:8:  "The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart."  In the German Psalter, this is verse 9:  "Die Befehle des HERRN sind richtig und erfreuen das Herz."

This hymn appears as "Lord, Open Thou My Heart to Hear" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#5) and as "Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear" in Lutheran Worship (#197) and The Lutheran Service Book (#908).

Above the text in the Gesangbuch, there's a note that this is sung to the tune "Erhalt uns, Herr," and this is the tune it's paired with in each of the hymnals listed above.  Here's the arrangement from The Lutheran Hymnal: