"O Fürstenkind aus Davids" (#38)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

O Fürstenkind aus Davids Stamm,

o meine Seelen Bräutigam,

Mein Trost, mein Heil, mein Leben,

wie soll ich ewig danken dir,

daß du in Elend kommst zu mir,

was soll ich dir denn geben?

Es geht

und steht

außer Leiden

nur in Freuden,

was man siehet,

weil der Friedefürst einziehet.

Ich selbsten bin der Freuden voll,

ich weiß nicht, was ich schenken soll

dem auserwählten Kinde.

Ach, Herzenskind, nimm immer hin,

nimm hin mein Herze, Muth und Sinn

und mich mit Lieb entzünde.

Schleuß dich

in mich,

in mein Herze,

daß ich herze

dich und küsse,

dich auch ewig lieben müsse.

Bleib, höchster Schatz, o meine Zier,

o meine Wonne, bleib bei mir,

du Hoffnung der Verzagten!

Du Himmelsthau, befruchte mich,

du schönstes Manna, zeige dich

den Armen und Verjagten!

Laß nicht

dein Licht

hier auf Erden

dunkel werden,

laß den Deinen

hie dein Wort noch weiter scheinen.

Philipp von Zesen, um 1643.

My prose translation:

O princely child of David's lineage,

O bridegroom of my soul,

My comfort, my salvation, my life,

How should I ever thank You

That You into misery come to me,

What should I then give to You?

It goes

And stands

Out of suffering

Only in joy

What one sees

Because the Prince of Peace draws near.

I myself am full of joy,

I know not what I should give

To the chosen Child.

Oh, Child of my heart, take always,

Take my heart, courage, and sense

And ignite me with love.

Lock Yourself

In me;

In my heart,

So that I hug

And kiss You,

You I must also love eternally.

Stay, highest Treasure, O my Joy,

O my Delight, stay with me,

You Hope of the despairing!

You Dew of Heaven, make me fruitful,

You most beautiful Manna, show Yourself

To the poor and chased away!

Let not

Your light

Here on earth

Become dark,

Let Your [people]

Here be yet further illumined by Your word.

Philipp von Zesen, um 1643.

The title "Prince of Peace" comes from Isaiah 9:6.

I changed "laß den Deinen / hie dein Wort noch weiter scheinen" from active voice to passive voice.  This was partially to maintain the correct line breaks ("Let Your [people] / Here be yet further illumined by Your word"), but the passive voice also makes the meaning more clear than an active voice translation would (without significantly re-arranging the elements, at least).  The direct object precedes the subject here, and because English doesn't have clear case endings, the two could be easily confused so that instead of "Let Your word here yet further enlighten Your [people]," it's mistaken as "Let Your [people] here yet further enlighten Your word."

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't present in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  The Gesangbuch notes that the text is sung to the tune "Wie schön leuchtet der M[orgenstern]."  Here's an arrangement from TLH:

"Nun singet und seid froh" (#37)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

Nun singet und seid froh,

jauchzt all und saget so:

Unsers Herzens Wonne

liegt in der Krippen bloß,

und leucht doch als die Sonne

in seiner Mutters Schoß;

du bist A und O.  :,:

Sohn Gottes in der Höh,

nach dir ist mir so weh!

Tröste mein Gemüthe,

o Kindlein zart und rein,

und durch deine Güte,

o liebstes Jesulein,

zeuch mich hin nach dir.  :,:

Groß ist des Vaters Huld,

der Sohn trägt unsre Schuld;

da wir ganz verdorben

durch Sünd und Eitelkeit,

hat er uns erworben

die ewge Himmelsfreud.

Eia, wärn wir da!  :,:

Wo ist der Freudenort?

Sonst nirgend mehr denn dort,

da dieEngel singen

dem lieben Jesulein

und die Psalmen klingen

im Himmel hell und rein.

Eia, wärn wir da!  :,:

In der Mischform - Latein u. Deutsch - um 1350; verbreitet durch Petrus Dresdensis um 1410; verdeutscht im Hannoverschen Gesangb., 1646.

My prose translation

Now sing and be happy,

Rejoice all and say so:

The delight of our heart

Lies naked in the manger,

And yet shines like the sun

In the bosom of His mother;

You are A[lpha] and O[mega].  :,:

Son of God in the highest,

For You is such pain for my sake!

Comfort my soul,

O gentle and pure Child,

And through Your goodness,

O dearest Jesus,

Draw me to You.  :,:

Great is the Father's grace,

The Son carries our guilt;

Because we were completely corrupted

Through sin and vanity,

He has purchased for us

The eternal joy of heaven.

Oh, that we were there!  :,:

Where is the place of peace?

Nowhere else more than there

Where the angels sing

To the dear little Jesus

And the Psalms sound

Bright and pure in Heaven.

Oh, that we were there!  :,:

In the mixed form - Latin and German - around 1350; expanded by Petrus of Dresden around 1410; translated into German in the Hannover Gesangbuch, 1646.

The title "Alpha and Omega" comes from Revelation 21:6, 22:13.

I've been puzzled by the symbol :,: before, but here it's clearly an indication to repeat the line (otherwise the tune ["In dulci jubilo"] is longer than the text).

I translated the line "nach dir ist mir so weh!" as "For You is such pain for my sake!," but I'm not entirely sure about this.  There are two dative pronouns there, which is a bit confusing.

This hymn appears as "Now Sing We, Now Rejoice" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#92), Lutheran Worship (#47), and The Lutheran Service Book (#386).  In all of these, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to the melody "In dulci jubilo."  Here's the TLH arrangement:

Here's the arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch:

 

"Nun komm, der Heiden" (#36)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,

der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt,

des sich wunder alle Welt,

Gott solch Geburt ihm bestellt.

Nicht von Manns Blut noch vom Fleisch,

allein von dem Heilgen Geist,

ist Gotts Wort worden ein Mensch

und blüht ein Frucht Weibesfleisch.

Der Jungfrau Leib schwanger ward,

doch blieb Keuschheit rein bewahrt,

leucht herfür manch Tugend schon,

Gott da war in seinem Thron.

Er ging aus der Kammer sein,

dem könglichen Sal so rein,

Gott von Art und Mensch ein Held,

sein Weg er zu laufen eilt.

Sein Lauf kam vom Vater her

und kehrt wieder zum Vater,

fuhr hinunter zu der Höll

und wieder zu Gottes Stuhl.

Der du bist dem Vater gleich,

führ hinaus den Sieg im Fleisch,

daß dein ewig Gottsgewalt

in uns das krank Fleisch enthalt.

Dein Krippen glänzt hell und klar,

die Nacht gibt ein neu Licht dar,

dunkel muß nicht kommen drein,

der Glaub bleibt immer im Schein.

Lob sei Gott dem Vater g'than,

Lob sei Gott seim eingen Sohn,

Lob sei Gott dem Heilgen Geist,

immer und in Ewigkeit.

Dr. M. Luther, 1524.

(Nach dem Latein. des Ambrosius.)

My prose translation:

Now come, Savior of the nations,

Recognized as child of the virgin.

All the world is surprised that

God appointed such a birth for Him.

Not of man's blood nor of flesh,

Only from the Holy Ghost,

Is God's Word become a man

And grows as a fruit of woman.

The virgin became pregnant

Yet retained pure chastity,

For this, many virtues already shone,

God was there on His throne.

He went out of His chamber,

Of the royal hall so pure,

God by nature of a champion of men.

He hurries to walk His way.

His course came from the Father here

And turns again to the Father,

Led down to hell

And again to God's throne.

You are alike to the Father,

Led to the victory in the flesh

So that Your eternal divine strength

May restrain the sick flesh in us.

Your manger shines bright and clear.

The night gives a new light to it.

Darkness must not come in there.

Faith always remains in the light.

Praise be to God the Father given,

Praise be to God His only Son,

Praise be to God the Holy Ghost,

Always and in eternity.

Dr. M. Luther, 1524.

(After the Latin of Ambrosius.)

I'm not too confident about my translation of the line "Leucht herfür manch Tugend schon," which I rendered as "For this, many virtues already shone."

The line "Lob sei Gott dem Vater g'than" is actually "Praise be to God the Father done," but "Praise to God the Father given" sounds better.

This hymn appears as "Savior of the Nations, Come" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#95), Lutheran Worship (#13), and The Lutheran Service Book (#332), although the TLH version lacks the fourth verse.  I was already pretty familiar with the LSB version, and I'll admit that at times, I was thinking about it as I was doing my own translation.  In all three of these hymnals and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own melody."  Because it's one of my favorite tunes, I'm embedding a couple different recordings I've done.

The TLH arrangement done on stringed instruments:

The TLH arrangement done on three recorders:

Georg Philipp Telemann's arrangement from Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch, done on organ:

 

"Nun kömmt das neue Kirch." (#35)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

Nun kömmt das neue Kirchenjahr,

des freut sich alle Christenschar;

dein König kommt, drum freue dich,

du werthes Zion, ewiglich.

Halleluja.

Wir hören noch das Gnadenwort

von Anfang immer wieder fort,

das uns den Weg zum Leben weist,

Gott sei für seine Gnad gepreist.

Halleluja.

Gott, was uns deine Wahrheit lehrt,

die unsern Glauben stets vermehrt,

das laß bekleiden, daß wir dir

Lob und Preis sagen für und für.

Halleluja.

Johann Olearius, 1671.

My prose translation:

Now the new church year comes,

About this the whole Christian congregation rejoices;

Your King is coming, therefore rejoice,

You worthy Zion, eternally.

Hallelujah.

We hear still the word of grace

Constantly from the beginning,

That shows us the way to life,

May God be praised for his mercy.

Hallelujah.

God, what teaches us Your truth,

That our faith always increases,

That lets [us] dress, that we to You

Proclaim praise and glory forever.

Hallelujah.

Johann Olearius, 1671.

The third verse gave me some problems.  "God Who teaches us Your truth" would seem to make more sense than "God, what teaches us Your truth," but the pronoun is clearly interrogative ("was") not relative ("wer").  I'm not too sure on "That lets [us] dress."  I translated "Lob und Preis sagen" as "proclaim praise and glory" even though it means something closer to "say praise and praise."  Merely "saying" these seemed a bit incongruous (and disimpassioned), and it was redundant to translate both "Lob" and "Preis" as "praise."

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't present in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  The Gesangbuch notes that it's sung to the tune "Erschienen ist der herrlich T[ag]."  Here's an arrangement from TLH:

"Nun ist die Zeit erfüllt" (#34)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

Nun ist die Zeit erfüllt,

des Höchsten Sohn ist kommen

und hat das arme Fleish

der Menschen angenommen;

hier ist der Mann, der Herr

der Furcht und Strafe stillt;

des Weibes Same kömmt;

nun ist die Zeit erfüllt.

Nun ist der Zeit erfüllt,

der Stern aus Jakob funkelt,

die trübe Nacht ist hin,

die alte Welt verdunkelt;

hier ist es, Israel,

was du erwarten willt,

der Zionshüter schreit:

Nun ist die Zeit erfüllt.

Nun ist die Zeit erfüllt,

der Stab von Aaron blühet,

worauf das alte Bild

der heilgen Lade siehet;

es hat sich Rath, Kraft, Held

in armen Staub verhüllt,

und wird ein schwaches Kind;

nun ist die Zeit erfüllt.

Nun ist die Zeit erfüllt,

die Kindschaft ist erworben;

was unter dem Gesetz

und dessen Fluch verdorben,

das hört nun weiter nicht,

wie Zorn und Eiser brüllt.

Gott ruft den Frieden aus;

nun ist die Zeit erfüllt.

My prose translation:

Now is the time fulfilled;

The Son of the Highest is come

And has taken on

The poor flesh of men;

Here is the Man, the Lord,

Who eases fear and punishment;

The seed of the woman comes;

Now is the time fulfilled.

Now is the time fulfilled,

The star of Jacob twinkles,

The clouded night is here,

The old world is darkened;

Here it is, Israel,

What you want to hope for,

The protector of Zion cries:

Now is the time fulfilled.

Now is the time fulfilled,

The staff of Aaron blossoms,

On which the old image

Of the holy Ark is seen;

It has advice, strength, hero

Concealed in poor dust

And becomes a weak child;

Now is the time fulfilled.

Now is the time fulfilled,

The adoption [as sons] is acquired;

What under the law

And its curse was corrupted

Is now no longer heard

Like rage and iron roaring.

God announces peace;

Now is the time fulfilled.

The first line of each verse has some similarity to Galatians 4:4 and following ("When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman...").

The line "The staff of Aaron blossoms" in the third verse refers to an event in Numbers 17.  I'm not too confident in my translation of the following two lines ("On which the old image / Of the holy Ark is seen").

This hymn (with the third verse omitted) appears as "Now Are the Days Fulfilled" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#99), but as far as I can tell, it doesn't appear in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book.  The Gesangbuch notes that the text can be sung to either "Nun danket alle Gott" or "Was frag' ich nach der Welt."  In TLH, it's paired with "Was frag' ich nach der Welt":