Sunday, March 6, 2022

"Komm, du werthes Lösegeld" (#26)

German text in the Gesangbuch:
Komm, du werthes Lösegeld,
dessen alle Heiden hoffen;
komm, o Heiland aller Welt,
Thor und Thüren stehen offen;
komm in aungewöhnter Zier,
komm, wir warten mit Begier.  :,:

Zeuch auch in mein Herz hinein,
o du großer Ehrenkönig,
laß mich deine Wohnung sein!
Bin ich armer Mensch zu wenig,
ei, so soll mein Reichthum sein,
wenn du bei mir ziehest ein.  :,:

Nimm mein Hosianna an
mit den Siegespalmenziveigen;
so viel ich nur immer kann,
will ich Ehr dir erzeigen,
und im Glauben dein Verdienst
mir zueignen zum Gewinnst.  :,:

Hosianna, Davids Sohn!
Ach Herr, hilf, laß wohl gelingen,
laß dein Scepter, Reich und Kron
uns viel Heil und Segen bringen,
daß in Ewigkeit besteh:
Hosianna in der Höh!  :,:

M. Joh. Gottfr. Olearius, 1644.
My prose translation:
Come, You worthy ransom,
In whom all the nations hope;
Come, o Savior of all the world,
Gate and doors stand open;
Come in, accustomed ornament,
Come, we are waiting with eagerness.  :,:

Come also into my heart,
O You great king of honor,
Let me be Your dwelling place!
[Although] I am a poor man, too small,
Oh, so should my wealth be,
When You enter into me.  :,:

Accept my hosanna
With the victory palms;
So much as I can forever,
I want to show honor to You
And in faith Your service
To be suitable for benefit to me.  :,:

Hosanna, David's Son!
Oh Lord, help, let it be successful,
Let Your scepter, kingdom, and crown
Bring us much salvation and blessing
So that it stands in eternity:
Hosanna in the highest!  :,:

M. Joh. Gottfr. Olearius, 1644.
"Accustomed ornament" may not be the best translation for "angewöhnter Zier," but my dictionary didn't have many suggestions for those words.

The translation of the third verse gave me some problems.

This hymn appears as "Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#55) and in The Lutheran Service Book (#350) and as "Come, O Precious Ransom" in Lutheran Worship (#34).  In all of these and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to the melody "Meinen Jesum lass' ich nicht."  Here's the TLH arrangement: