"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: