"Erhalt uns deine Lehre" (#169)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

1 Erhalt uns deine Lehre,

Herr, zu der letzten Zeit,

erhalt dein Reich, vermehre

dein edle Christenheit;

erhalt standhaften Glauben,

der Hoffnung Leitsternstrahl;

laß uns dein Wort nicht rauben

in diesem Jammerthal.

2 Erhalt dein Ehr und wehre

dem, der dir widerspricht,

erleucht, Herr, und bekehre,

allwissend ewig Licht,

was dich bisher nicht kennet,

entdecke doch der Welt

(der du dich Licht genennet),

was einig dir gefällt.

3 Erhalt, was du gebauet

und durch dein Blut erkauft,

was du dir hast vertrauet,

die Kirch, auf welch anlauft

der grimme Sturm des Drachen,

sei du ihr Schutz und Wall,

daß, ob die Welt will krachen,

sie nimmermehr verfall.

4 Erhalt, Herr, deine Schafe,

der grimme Wolf kommt an;

erwach aus deinem Schlafe,

weil niemand retten kann

ohn dich, du großer Hirte.

Leit uns auf gute Weid,

treib, nähr, erfreu, bewirthe

uns in der wüsten Haid.

5 Erhalt uns, Herr, dein Erbe,

dein werthes Heiligthum;

zerreiß, zerschmeiß, verderbe,

was wider deinen Ruhm.

Laß dein Gesetz uns führen,

gönn uns dein Himmelbrod [sic],

laß deinen Schmuck uns zieren,

heil uns durch deinen Tod.

6 Erhalt und laß uns hören

dein Wort, das selig macht,

den Spiegel deiner Ehren,

das Licht in dieser Nacht;

daß dieser Brunn uns tränke,

der Himmelsthau uns netz,

daß diese Richtschnur lenke,

der Honigseim ergötz.

7 Erhalt in Sturm und Wellen

dein Häuslein, laß doch nicht

uns Wind und Wetter fällen,

steur selbst dein Schiff und richt

den Lauf, daß wir erreichen

die Anfurt nach der Zeit,

und hilf uns Segel streichen

in selger Ewigkeit.

Adam Greigen, +1660.

My prose translation:

1 Preserve Your teaching for us,

Lord, to the last time;

Preserve Your kingdom; increase

Your noble Christendom;

Preserve steadfast faith,

The light of the guiding star of hope;

Let Your word not be taken away from us

In this vale of tears.

2 Preserve Your glory and resist

Those who speak against You;

Enlighten, Lord, and convert,

All-knowing, eternal Light,

Those who did not know You so far;

Discover still of the world

(Of which You are called the Light)

Those who please You.

3 Preserve what You have built

And bought by Your blood,

What You trust in for Yourself,

The church, on which runs

The fierce storm of the dragon;

May You be her protection and rampart

So that, if the world will burst,

She will nevermore fall.

4 Preserve, Lord, Your sheep;

The fierce wolf approaches;

Wake from Your sleep

Because no one can save

Without You, You great shepherd.

Lead us on good pasture,

Guide, nurture, gladden, feed

Us in the desolate heath.

5 Preserve us, Lord, Your heirs,

Your dear sacred ones;

Tear, smash, ruin

Whatever is against Your glory.

Let Your law lead us;

Allow us Your bread of Heaven;

Let Your jewelry adorn us;

Heal us by Your death.

6 Preserve and let us hear

Your word, which makes blessed,

The mirror of Your glory,

The light in this night;

So that this well waters us,

The dew of Heaven moistens us,

So that this guiding principle pilots;

The honey delights.

7 Preserve in storm and waves

Your household; let not

Wind and weather cut us down;

Pilot Your ship Yourself and direct

Its course, so that we reach

The haven after the time

And help us spread the sail

In blessed eternity.

Adam Greigen, +1660.

I translated "widerspricht" in the second verse as "speak against," which is somewhere in between my dictionary's suggestions of contradict and oppose.  At the end of the verse, I translated "was einig dir gefällt" as "those who please You," but it's literally something more like "what few please You."

"Erwach aus deinem Schlafe" ("wake from Your sleep") in the fourth verse sort of contradicts Psalm 121:4:  "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."  For "treib" later in the verse, my dictionary suggested "drive," but this seemed too intense for this context, so I translated it as "guide."

For "Heiligthum" in the fifth verse, my dictionary suggested "(holy) shrine," "(sacred) relic," and "something sacred."  I translated it as "sacred ones."

This hymn appears as "Preserve Thy Word, O Savior" in The Lutheran Hymnal (#264), albeit with the fourth verse omitted.  As far as I can tell, it's not in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book.  The Gesangbuch notes that the text is sung to the tune "Herzlich thut mich verlang[en]."  Here's the TLH arrangement: