"Jesu, meines Lebens Leben" (#79)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

1 Jesu, meines Lebens Leben,

Jesu, meines Todes Tod,

der du dich für mich gegeben

in die tiefste Seelennoth,

in das äußerste Verderben,

nur daß ich nicht möchte sterben.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

2 Du, ach du hast ausgestaden

Lästerreden, Spott und Hohn,

Speichel, Schläge, Strick und Banden,

du gerechter Gottessohn!

mich Elenden zu erretten

von des Teufels Sündeketten.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

3 Du hast lassen Wunden schlagen,

dich erbärmlich richten zu,

um zu heilen meine Plagen

und zu setzen mich in Ruh:

ach, du hast zu meinem Segen

lassen dich mit Fluch belegen.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

4 Man hat dich sehr hart verhöhnet,

dich mit großem Schimpf belegt

und mit Dornen gar gekrönet:

was hat dich dazu bewegt?

Daß du möchtest mich ergötzen,

mir die Ehrenkron aufsetzen.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

5 Du hast dich hart lassen schlagen,

zur Befreiung meiner Pein,

fälschlich lassen dich anklagen,

daß ich könnte sicher sein;

daß ich möchte trostreich prangen,

hast du sonder Trost gehangen.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

6 Du hast dich in Noth gestecket,

hast gelitten mit Geduld,

gar den herben Tod geschmecket,

um zu büßen meine Schuld;

daß ich würde losgezählet,

hast du wollen sein gequälet.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

7 Deine Demuth hat gebüßet

meinen Stolz und Uebermuth,

dein Tod meinen Tod versüßet,

es kömmt alles mir zu gut;

dein Verspotten, dein Verspeien

muß zu Ehren mir gedeihen.

Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,

liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.

8 Nun, ich danke dir von Herzen,

Jesu, für gesamte Noth,

für die Wunden, für die Schmerzen,

für den herben, bittern Tod,

für dein Zittern, für dein Zagen,

für dein tausendfaches Plagen,

für dein Angst und tiefe Pein

will ich ewig dankbar sein.

Ernst Christoph Homburg, 1659.

My prose translation:

1 Jesus, life of my life,

Jesus, death of my death,

You Who gave Yourself for me

In the deepest distress of the soul,

In the utmost ruin,

Just so that I would not die.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

2 You, oh You have suffered

Blasphemous speech, mockery, and scorn,

Spit, blows, cords, and bonds,

You righteous Son of God!

To save miserable me

From the devil's chains of sin.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

3 You have let wounds be struck,

Injure You pitifully,

In order to heal my torment

And to put me to rest:

Oh, You have for my blessing

Let Yourself be covered with curses.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

4 One has mocked You very severely,

Covered You with great insult,

And even crowned [You] with thorns:

What has moved You to it?

That You would like to delight me,

Put the crown of honor on me.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

5 You have let Yourself be severely beaten

For the liberation of my torment,

Let Yourself be falsely accused

So that I could be sure;

So that I would shine full of comfort,

You have hung without comfort.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

6 You have put Yourself in difficulty,

have suffered with patience,

Even tasted bitter death,

In order to atone for my guilt;

So that I would be counted as free,

You have wanted to be tortured.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

7 Your humility has atoned for

My pride and wantonness;

Your death sweetens my death;

Everything comes for my good;

Your mocking, Your spitting

Must result in my honor.

Thousand, thousand times be to You,

Dearest Jesus, thanks for this.

8 Now, I thank You from my heart,

Jesus, for all Your distress,

For the wounds, for the pains,

For the harsh, bittern death,

For Your trembling, for Your apprehension,

For Your thousand fold torment,

For Your dread and deep suffering

Will I be eternally thankful.

Ernst Christoph Homburg, 1659.

I couldn't find a translation for "losgezählet" in the sixth verse.  I tried to figure out the meaning partially from parts of the word itself and partially from the context, and I ended up with "counted as free."

I'm not sure that "result in" is the best translation for "gedeihen" in the seventh verse.  All of the translations I could find for "gedeihen" (thrive, prosper, flourish) were for intransitive uses, but here it's used transitively.

This hymn appears as "Christ, the Life of All the Living" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#151), Lutheran Worship (#94), and The Lutheran Service Book (#420).  None of these has all eight verses, however; TLH and LSB have seven, and LW has only three.

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