Here is my translation of the repentance hymn, “O großer Gott von Macht" (B. Schnurr, 1678, sts 1-8; J. M. Meyfart, st.9), for times of general need. This hymn, the final stanza of which Bach uses in his cantata for Trinity X, is interesting for several reasons. Its arrangement consists of six lines of original text each stanza, appealing to God’s various divine attributes for pardon and mercy to prevail over strict righteousness and to spare the people and land in the midst of some unnamed necessity; and appended to this, a two-line semi-refrain of supplication based on the progressively audacious intercessions of Abraham in Genesis 18. Note that I attempt to reproduce the rhyme scheme of the German, which perhaps unnecessarily fails to rhyme the first and third lines. But the contiguity of these lines is enhanced by the quickness of the music, so that rhymes here would be foreign to the expression. Additionally, the hymn has had several proper tunes or variant melodies over the years (Zahn 5105–5117). I include the original along with that more nearly approximating Bach's (Zahn 5105 a–b resp.). The first may be attributed to Melchior Franck (Leipzig, 1632); the second form is found in Hiller, 1798, and follows the variant originally published in Praxis Pietatis Melica (Berlin, 1661).
GREAT GOD of mighty pow’r,
Abounding in all grace,
Wilt Thou the land entire
In furious wrath erase?
What if there be some faithful still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us,
Not for our works reward us!
2 Great God of honor famed,
Far be it from Thee now
To beat with dread rebuke
Both good and evil brow!
What if there be some fifty still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us, &c.
3 Great God of counsel wise,
Let mercy now abound,
Let righteous judgment yield,
Nor so severe be found.
What if there forty-five be still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us, &c.
4 Great God of strength to save,
Regard the suff’ring land,
And from Thy scourges dire
Withdraw Thy reaching hand.
What if there be some forty still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us, &c.
5 Great God of boundless might,
From all Thy wrath relent,
As often to Thine ear
Our wretched pray’r is sent;
What if there be some thirty still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy yet afford us, &c.
6 Great God of grace renowned,
Oh, hear us as we cry,
And in Thy lofty throne
Perceive our lowly sigh!
What if there be some twenty still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us, &c.
7 Great God of act and deed,
Hear humble earth implore,
Which of Thy lenient heart
Would ask this one thing more:
What if there be but ten souls still
Which do according to Thy will?
Thy mercy then afford us, &c.
8 Great God of glorious praise,
Have sins their limit passed,
And wilt Thou in Thy rage
Destroy us all at last,
Yet may the little children still
Do right, according to Thy will,
Thy mercy then afford us,
Not for our works reward us!
9 Great God of faithfulness,
Since naught avails with Thee
But Christ, Thy Son, who stilled
Thy just hostility,
Behold His wounds, His anguish grim,
His pains and sorrows, and for Him
Thy mercy now afford us,
Not for our works reward us!
Translation © 2017 Matthew Carver.
GERMAN
The German text is found here.
From Etlich Christlich Lieder, here is my translation of “In Gott gelaub ich, daß er hat” (Speratus, 1524), one of the early creedal hymns. While following the Nicene creed more closely than Luther’s shorter reworking of the medieval creedal hymn “Credimus in unum Deum,” it was soon thereafter omitted from Lutheran hymnals, perhaps because its style was considered too artful with its free use of internal rhyme (even quadruple rhyme) typical of Speratus, or because Luther viewed the familiar tune of the medieval hymn more advantageous and memorable. At the bottom, I include, below the German variant text (with some modernizations, such as an emendation to the original allusion to the release of the patriarchs from hell), is a three-stanza paraphrase by Coverdale, which ignores the complexities of the rhyme scheme.
IN ONE / true God I trust alone,
Who wrought
From nothing earth and heaven;
By none / shall my faith be undone,
By naught
From His defense be driven:
At ev’ry hour / His is the pow’r,—
He reigns above all other,
Yet bids us call Him Father,
Though foes contest, / He is my rest,
Sin, death, and hell / Must fall as well,
Though all force against Him bringing.
O Lord my God!
How gladly my heart is springing!
2. His Son / Christ Jesus, too, I own
And trust,
Conceived by th’ Holy Spirit,
Alone / whose birth no sin hath known;
Our dust
He filled with noble merit:
Was made true Man, / Born without stain
Of Mary, virgin tender,
God’s Son, our sole defender,
By sinless birth / To bring the earth
Atonement for / Our birth impure,
Access to the Father’s glory,
O Lord my God!
Who then would not come before Thee?
3. Therefore, / That He might so restore
All men,
He to the cross submitted;
Naught more / Could quench death’s hatred sore;
Yea, then
His grace all men acquitted;
Where, wrapped and laid / In tomb new-made,
The sins of all were buried,
There my sins, too, were carried!
My good He sought, / Nor of His thought;
His favor see! / How freely He
Deigns to give us this salvation!
O Lord my God!
Now surely I’m Thy possession!
4. To hell / He did descend as well,
For me,
That I might rise to heaven;
So fell / the gates before His spell,
When He
The fathers’ bonds had riven:
He broke the hold / of Satan old,
And led the triumph glorious,
His blood outpouring for us,
There is no fear / left for us here,
The devil can / harm not a man,
He has become a captive ever
O Lord my God,
Who would not long for Thy favor?
5. Although / Death gave Him such a blow,
Entombed
It could not always hold Him.
For lo! / The third day sees Him go
Exhumed
As glory doth enfold Him;
He takes His throne / To rule His own,
And guide by Word and Spirit;
And grants me when I hear it,
To trust also, / and not let go—
My comfort’s here, / salvation dear,—
With Him now I am arisen,
O Lord my God,
Preserve my soul from death’s prison!
6. Then He / with blessing full and free
Arose
And into heav’n acended;
Promptly / to_th’ seat of Majesty
He goes,
The King eternal, splendid:
He is alone / my hope, I own;
I’ll seek no other savior,
For then I’d perish ever.
When woes invade, / who seeks for aid
From anyone / but God alone
Must abide in wrath forever.
O Lord my God!
They perish whom He helps never.
7. From thence / He’ll come, and so commence
The day
Of Judgment. None ignore Him!
All sense / All flesh, must then go hence
And lay
Their ev’ry work before Him.
Alive or dead, / both good and bad—
His judgment shall be made then,
And no excuse will aid then.
“Come unto me, / My saints are ye!”
Or “Go ye, go! / I am your foe.”
Thus will be His sentence given.
O Lord my God!
In mercy send us to heaven!
8. I trust / in God, the Holy Ghost,
One God
With Father, Son, eternal;
They must / confounded lie in dust,
Who would
Not trust this God supernal:
O Holy Ghost, / Of all things most
Grant grace, rouse, lead, enlighten!
Throught Christ, in Christ, us brighten,
Make us to live / Chaste spirits give,
That we in Thee / may eagerly
Give the name of God due glory.
O Lord my God!
In faith let us walk before Thee!
9. This too / one must believe as true,
And own:
One Church, God’s dear creation:
Though few, / abides in grace, made new,
The lone
True harbor of salvation,
Unsevered by / The devil sly,
One baptism her possession,
Forgiveness of transgression;
Also, this flesh / shall rise afresh
To endless life / beyond this strife,
Where abundant bliss is granted.
O Lord my God!
Let us be yonder transplanted!
Translation © 2011, 2017 Matthew Carver. All rights reserved.
GERMAN
1. In Gott / gelaub ich, daß er hat
aus nichts
geschaffen Himmel und Erde
Kein Noth / mag mir zu fügen Spott,
er sicht,
daß er mein Bschützer werde.
Zu aller Frist,
allmächtig ist,
sein Gwalt muß man bekennen,
läßt sich ein Vater nennen,
trotz wer mir thu, / der ist mein Ruh,
Tod, Sünd und Hell, / kein Ungefell,
wider diesen Gott kan bringen,
O Herre Gott, für Freuden mein Herz thut springen.
2. Auch ist / mein Glaub an Jesum Christ,
sein Sohn,
vom heilgen Geist empfangen
Gerüst / widr all Sünden und List,
wollt stahn
darum ist er ausgegeangen.
Von edler Art, / der Jungfrau zart,
Maria hat geboren,
den Sohn Gotts auserkoren,
daß er auch mein / und jedem sein
Empfängnis und / Geburt macht gsund,
sollt ein Weg zum Vater bauen,
O Herre Gott,
wem wollt für dir immer grauen?
3. Auch daß / er leid dadurch genaß
all Welt
am Kreuz ist willig gstorben:
Nit baß / mocht werden Todes Haß
ab[g]stellt
denn hie ist Gnad erworben.
Er war gelegt / im Grab bedeckt
dardurch all Sünd begraben,
den Nutz den soll ich haben,
such nicht das sein, / sonder das mein
erkenn sein Gunst, / daß er umsonst,
solch Gnad hat wollen zeigen,
O Herre Gott,
nun bin ich gwiß gar dein eigen.
4. Zur Hell, / nieder gestiegen schnell,
für mich
da ich darein nit fare
Ihr Stell, / zubracht mit starker Schwell,
mit sich
nam er der väter Schare
Dadurch mit Gewalt, / der Schlangen kalt
hat er die Macht verstöret
darum sein Blut veröhret,
kein Forcht mehr sei / uns allen bei
der Teufel kann / nicht Schaden thun,
denn er ist ewig gefangen,
O Herre Gott,
wem wollt nach dir nicht verlangen?
5. Wiewohl / der Tod hat ihn einmal
verschlickt,
noch kund er ihn nicht halten:
Gwalts voll, / am dritten Tag nun soll
erquickt
ihn sein verklärte Gstalte.
Ein König frohn / in seinem Thron,
im Geist sein Volk regieren,
das soll mein Glaub berühren,
und hangen dran / ohn Abelohn,
er ist mein Trost, / mein Heil es kost
mit ihm bin ich auferstanden,
O Herre Gott, behüt mich vor Todes Banden.
6. Auf fuhr / nach wahrem Gottes schwur
von hinn
gen Himmel ans Vaters Seiten
sitzt zur / Gerechten an der Kuhr,
vernimm:
ein König in ewig Zeiten.
Er steht für mich, / dasselb glaub ich,
soll niemand anders suchen,
daß mich nicht treff der Fluche.
Wer suchet Rath / in seiner Noth
denn nur allein / von Gott muß sein
ewiglich in seinem Zoren,
O Herre Gott, wenn du nicht hilfst, ist verloren.
7. Von dann / als ich nicht Zweifel han
er würd
am Jüngsten Tag herkommen
muß stahn, / für ihm mit seinem Thun
herfür
der Böß und auch der fromme
tot, lebendig / im Augenblick
er wird uns alle richten,
da hilft nicht Ausred tichten,
kommt her zu mir, / Erwählten ihr!
Geht weit dorthin, / denn ich Feind bin
also wird er Urtheil fellen,
O Herre Gott, erbarm dich für diesem Stellen.
8. Glauben / muß ich in heiligen
Geist, Gott
dem Vater gleich und Sohne:
Wer denn / in ihm wird nicht haben,
leidt Spott,
denn deß wird Gott nicht schonen.
O heiliger Geist, / uns Gnaden leist,
erweck, leit und erleuchte,
durch und in Christo feuchte,
schaff lebendig / im Gemüth heilig,
daß wir in dir / mit Herzen gier
Gottes großen Namen ehren,
O Herre Gott, den Glauben wöllst in uns mehren.
9. Das soll / man auch gelauben wohl,
ein Kirch,
im Geist muß man sie kennen,
Gott holdt / der Gnaden reichlich voll,
nicht fürcht,
daß sie der Teufel trenne.
Heilig Gemein, / die hat allein
Vergebung aller Sünde,
der Fried ist Gottes Kinden,
zuletzt behend / des Fleischs Urständ
ein Leben frei / das ewig sei,
dort in jener Welt voll Freuden,
O Herre Gott, verleih uns auch diese Weide.
COVERDALE (abridged paraphrase)
1. In God I trust, for so I must;
He hath made heaven and earth also;
My Father is he, his chylde am I;
My conforte he is, I have no mo:
In all my nede he maketh me spede;
His powre is with me alwaye,
To keepe me every daye.
There is no evell can have his wyll
Agaynst my health nor yet my wealth,
But it muste come to my furtheraunce.
He is my kynge, that ruleth all thyngo;
The devell can make no hynderaunce.
2. So do I trust on Jesu Christ,
His Sonne conceaved of the Holy Goost
Borne of Marye a virgin fre
For all my synnes to paye the cost.
For deed was he and buried truely;
The gates of hell hath ho broken,
And heaven hath he made open.
He rose truely the thyrde daye fre;
He went up ryght to the Father of myght;
And shall apeare at domes-daye:
For judge shall he all the worlde truely,
And dryve myne enemyes all awaye.
3. I also truste on the Holy Goost,
Lyke the Father and Sonne in Trenité;
My conforth best in all evell rest,
In all my nede my chefest remedie.
A Church holy I beleve truely,
Which is but one generall:
For synne can it never fall;
A company of sayncts they be.
Of synfulnesse true forgyvenesse
Is from amonge them never.
Our fleshe verely shall ryse in glory;
So shall we lyve with God for ever.
