"Aus Lieb läßt Gott der" (#155)

This is the first hymn in a new section:  "Lieder am Michaelis-Fest.  (Am 29. September.)"  "Songs for the Feast of Michael (On 29 September)"

German text in the Gesangbuch:

1 Aus Lieb läßt Gott der Christenheit

viel Gutes widerfahren,

aus Lieb hat er ihr zubereit

viel tausend Engelscharen,

darum man fröhlich singen mag:

Heut ist der lieben Engel Tag,

die uns gar wohl bewahren.

2 Sie lagern sich, wenn kommt die Noth,

in Eil gefaßt sich machen

und reißen die, so fürchten Gott,

aus ihrer Feinde Rachen,

darum man fröhlich singen mag:

Heut ist der lieben Engel Tag,

die immer für uns wachen.

3 Sie führen auf den Straßen wohl

die Großen samt den Kleinen,

daß keiner Schaden leiden soll

an Füßen oder Beinen,

darum man fröhlich singen mag:

Heut ist der lieben Engel Tag,

die uns mit Treuen meinen.

Dr. G. Reimann, +1615.

My prose translation:

1 Out of love, God lets

Much good happen to Christendom;

Out of love He has prepared for it

Many thousand companies of angels;

Therefore one may sing cheerfully:

To-day is the day of the dear angels,

Who protect us very well.

2 They position themselves when distress comes,

Prepare themselves in a hurry

And snatch those who fear God

Out of the revenge of their enemies;

Therefore one may sing cheerfully:

To-day is the day of the dear angels,

Who always keep watch for us.

3 They lead well on the streets

The great along with the small,

So that no one should suffer injury

To foot or leg;

Therefore one may sing cheerfully:

To-day is the day of the dear angels,

Who regard us with faithfulness.

Dr. G. Reimann, +1615.

The lines "daß keiner Schaden leiden soll / an Füßen oder Beinen" ("So that no one should suffer injury / To foot or leg") in the third verse seem to refer to Psalm 91:11-12:  "11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."  The phrase "Füßen oder Beinen" contains plurals ("Feet or legs"), but I translated them as singulars.

I translated "meinen" in the same verse as "regard" based more on the context than anything else.  In other circumstances, I would translate it as mean or think, but those didn't seem to fit here.

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  According to the Gesangbuch, the text is sung to "its own tune."