TRANSLATED BY
FRANCES ELIZABETH COX.
“Awake up, my glory: awake, lute and harp.”
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.
RIVINGTONS,
WATERLOO PLACE, LONDON;
HIGH STREET, OXFORD;
TRINITY STREET, CAMBRIDGE.
1864.
Germany, since the time of theReformation, has always had itssacred poets; yet their beautifulhymns were till of late unknownin England, except to the few who read themin the original.
This small selection, now re-published in aslightly enlarged edition, was perhaps the firstattempt to make them known to Englishreaders. Some of its former contents arehere replaced by hymns of more value.
Most of these were pointed out to the Translatoras “national treasures” by the late BaronBunsen, on whose authority the names anddates of the authors are given, and from whoselarge collection the hymns, with one exception,[iv]are taken. That entitled “Gethsemane,”recently translated for Lyra Mystica, is froma Treves hymn-book. The proximity of theGerman, which, as in the first Edition, isprinted on corresponding pages, will betraythat in this instance, as also in three or fourothers, the metre has been changed. In thishymn especially it was difficult to retain theshort line and double rhyme in English verse,with sufficient reverence for the solemn theme.
The originals will, it is hoped, recommendthis volume to young students of German, whomay wish to become acquainted with some ofthe hymns of Gerhard, Angelus, and others,without searching through collections whichmostly comprise several hundreds.
Lobet den Herrn alle seine Werke an allen Orten seiner Herrschaft:
Lobe den Herrn meine Seele.
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Vom Firmament des Himmels fern!
Die Nacht ist nun vergangen,
All Creatur macht sich herfür
Des edlen Lichtes Pracht und Zier
Mit Freuden zu empfangen:
Was lebt, Was schwebt
Hoch in Lüften, Tief in Klüften,
Lässt zu Ehren
Seinem Gott ein Danklied hören.
Drum, o mein Herz, dich auch aufricht,
Erheb dein Stimm und säume nicht
Dem Herrn dein Lob zu bringen.
Denn, Herr, Du bist’s, dem Lob gebührt,
Dess Ruhm niemals vollendet wird,
Den man lässt innig klingen
Mit Fleiss Dank, Preis,
Freudensaiten, Dass von weiten
Man kann hören
Dich, o meinen Heiland, ehren.
Ich lag in stolzer Sicherheit,
Sah nicht, mit was Gefährlichkeit
Ich diese Nacht umgeben:
Des Teufels List und Büberei,
Die Höll, des Todes Tyrannei
Stund mir nach Leib und Leben,
Dass ich Schwerlich
Wär entkommen Und entnommen
Diesen Banden,
Wenn Du mir nicht beigestanden.