1 Höchster König, Jesu Christ,der du groß und schrecklich bist,der du willst umsonst das Lebenallen Auserwählten geben,Brunnquell aller Gütigkeit,führ auch mich zur Himmelsfreud.2 Frommer Herr, ach höre michund erinnre gnädig dich,daß du in die Welt bist kommen,Kreuz und Tod auf dich genommen,daß ich dort an jenem Tagaller Qual entgehen mag.3 Du hast eher nicht gerast,bis du mich gefunden hast,bist am Kreuz für mich gestorben,daß du meine Seel erworben;o laß solche Müh und Peinan mir nicht verloren sein.4 Rechter Rächer aller Schuld,ich begehre deine Huld,laß Vergebung meiner Sündenmich bei deiner Güte finden,eh der große Tag einfällt,der zur Rechnung ist bestellt.5 Ich beseufze meine That,die den Zorn verdienet hat;es erröthen meine Wangenüber dem, was ich begangen.Ach, ich bitt in solcher Noth:Schone meiner, treuer Gott!6 Weil Maria fand Genad,da sie thränend Buße that,weil dem Schächer ward gewähret,was sein Mund von dir begehret,setze billig auch noch ichmeine Hoffnung fest auf dich.7 Mein Gebet ist zwar nicht werth,daß ihm solches widerfährt;aber du, mein Hort, verhüteaus unendlich großer Güte,daß nicht in der Höllen Wehich in Ewigkeit vergeh.8 Hilf, daß, wo du stellest hindeine Schäflein, ich auch bin;reiß mich ferne von den Böcken,die ein strenger Spruch wird schrecken;laß mich zu der Rechten stehnund zur Herrlichkeit eingehn.9 Wenn du wirst in deinem Grimmdurch des strengen Urtheils Stimmzu der Höllen Pfuhl und Flammendie verfluchte Schar verdammen,sprich mir, wie den Frommen, zu:Komm, Gesegneter, auch du!10 Daß ich in des Himmels Salunter deiner Heilgen Zahl,die du selber ausgesöhnetund mit Unschuld hast gekrönet,freudenvoll, ohn einig Leid,leb in alle Ewigkeit.Andreas Gryphius, 1659.Aus der Sequenz: Dies irae, dies illa.
My prose translation:
1 Highest King, Jesus Christ,You Who are great and terrible,You Who want freelyTo give life to all the chosen,Spring of all goodness,Lead me also to the joy of Heaven.2 Gentle Lord, oh, hear meAnd mercifully rememberThat You are come into the world,Took cross and death upon YourselfSo that there on that dayI may escape all agony.3 You did not restUntil You found me,Died on the cross for meSo that You purchased my soul;Oh, let such effort and tormentNot be lost on me.4 True Avenger of all guilt,I desire Your grace;Let the forgiveness of my sinsFind me with Your goodnessBefore the great day occurs,Which is ordered for the reckoning.5 I sigh for my deed,Which has deserved wrath;My cheeks blushOver that which I committed.Oh, in such distress I pray:Spare me, faithful God!6 Because Mary found mercyWhen she repented, crying,Because the robber preservedWhat his mouth desired from You,I, too, still properly setMy hope firmly on You.7 My prayer is indeed not worthyThat such happens for it;But You, my Refuge,Out of interminable great goodness,Prevent my vanishingInto the grief of hell into eternity.8 Help that where You placeYour little sheep, I also am;Pull me far from the goats,Which a severe sentence will frighten;Let me stand to the rightAnd enter into the splendor.9 When You in Your wrathBy the stern voice of judgementWill condemn the cursed crowdTo the slough and flames of hell,Speak to me, as to the devout:"Come, blessed one, even you!"10 So that I in the hall of HeavenAmong Your holy number,Which You Yourself reconciledAnd have crowed with innocence,Full of joy, without any sorrow,Would live in all eternity.Andreas Gryphius, 1659.From the sequence: Dies irae, dies illa.
I translated the lines "weil dem Schächer ward gewähret, / was sein Mund von dir begehret" in the sixth verse as "Because the robber preserved / What his mouth desired from You," but I'm not sure this is entirely accurate. I tried to smooth it out some; otherwise, it's something like "because for the thief it was preserved / What his mouth from You desired."
I took some liberties with the end of the seventh verse and translated it to be closer to the meaning (or at least what I thought the meaning was) rather than to the strict grammatical structure. "Du... verhüte... daß nicht in der Höllen Weh / ich in Ewigkeit vergeh" is literally something like "You... prevent... so that not into the grief of hell / I in eternity vanish." I translated it as "You... Prevent my vanishing / Into the grief of hell into eternity."
The eighth verse seems to be based (at least in part) on Matthew 25:32-33.
I flipt two lines in the ninth verse to get a smoother English translation.
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."