"Nun bitten wir den Heiligen" (#136)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

1 Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist

um den rechten Glauben allermeist,

daß er uns behüte an unserm Ende,

wenn wir heimfahrn aus diesem Elende.

Kyrieleis!

2 Du werthes Licht, gib uns deinen Schein,

lehr uns Jesum Christ kennen allein,

daß wir an ihm bleiben, dem treuen Heiland,

der uns bracht hat zum rechten Vaterland.

Kyrieleis!

3 Du süße Lieb, schenk uns deine Gunst,

laß uns empfinden der Liebe Brunst,

daß wir uns von Herzen einander lieben

und im Friede auf einem Sinn bleiben.

Kyrieleis!

4 Du höchster Tröster in aller Noth,

hilf, daß wir nicht fürchten Schand noch Tod,

daß in uns die Sinne nicht verzagen,

wenn der Feind wird das Leben verklagen.

Kyrieleis!

Dr. M. Luther, 1525.

(Vers 1 aus dem 13th Jahrhundert.)

My prose translation:

1 Now we ask the Holy Ghost

For the true faith most of all

So that He would protect us at our end

When we go home out of this misery.

Kyrie eleison!

2 You worthy Light, give us Your light,

Teach us to know Jesus Christ alone

So that we remain in Him, the faithful Savior,

Who has brought us to the true Fatherland.

Kyrie eleison!

3 You sweet Love, give us Your goodwill;

Let us feel the desire of love

So that we love one an-other from the heart

And remain of one mind in peace.

Kyrie eleison!

4 You high Comforter in all misery,

Help that we fear nor shame nor death,

That our mind does not despair

When the foe will accuse our life.

Kyrie eleison!

Dr. M. Luther, 1525.

(Verse 1 from the 13th century)

The only translations I could find for "verklagen" were more legal ("sue" and "take to court").  I translated it as "accuse."

This hymn appears as "We Now Implore God the Holy Ghost" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#231) and as "To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray" in Lutheran Worship (#155) and The Lutheran Service Book (#768).  LW and LSB shuffle the order of the verses, though; the second verse becomes the fourth, and the third and fourth verses are moved up one.  In all the hymnals, and as the Gesangbuch notes, the text is sung to "its own tune."  Here's the TLH arrangement:

And here's an arrangement from Telemann's Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch: