Sei gegrüßt, Jesu, du einiger Trost

Here is my translation of “Sei gegrüßt, Jesu, du einiger Trost,” the German rendering and adaptation of O Crux Ave (the 9th stanza, perhaps a late addition, of the Latin hymn “Vexilla Regis Prodeunt”), included by Kunrad Michael von Nordhausen (1560–?) in a collection of hymns for the year, later in the Buffalo Synod hymnal, ELGB #117. Here, von Nordhausen has attempted to align the stanza more closely with Lutheran sensibilities (but cf. the version included in TLH, as st. 6, i.a.) by directing attention from the cross to the Crucified. His adaptation includes the Doxology in German as well. In making this notable adaptation, he follows earlier Lutheran Latin tradition, in which the Latin text “O Crux” was changed to “Christe,”and prayer is asked that Christians may have their righteousness increased, and sinners be given pardon—as seen in Lossius’ Psalmodia (1579, fol. 31a, e.g.):

   This may be compared with the current wording (since Pope Urban VIII’s revisions in 1629) of the Roman version: “O Crux ave, spes unica, / hoc Passionis tempore! / piis adauge gratiam, / reisque dele crimina.” Much of the sense is preserved here in the prayer to increase grace for the godly and to blot out crimes for sinners.

   While we have a few translations of the original in English, the differences in the first stanza and the doxology seem substantial or interesting enough to warrant this present post. The melody for the German was adapted from the original chant, the German form of which is seen above (from Liber Hymnorum, Emmanuel Press, 2016). A version with the music may be seen in Layriz's Kern IV, p. 101, in his suggested Good Friday service (on which Friedrich Lochner largely bases his). Note that, in keeping with von Nordhausen’s free rendering of the meter, the traditional neumes of the chant are broken as needed:

O Christ, our only comfort, hail!
In this Thine hour of great travail:
Give to the faithful steadfastness,
To sinners poor, Thy righteousness. (or: "Poor sinners with Thy mercy bless.")
   
O God, Thou Holy Trinity,
The Church, redeemed by th’ agony
Borne on the Cross, doth Thee adore!
Save us, Lord God, for evermore. Amen.

Tr. st. 1, M. Carver, 2022.

GERMAN

Sei gegrüßt Jesu, Du einiger Trost,
in dieser Zeit Deines Leidens groß,
gieb den Frommen Beständigkeit,
und den armen Sündern Gerechtigkeit. (var. Barmherzigkeit.)

O Gott, Du heilige Dreifaltigkeit,
Dich lobet alle Christenheit,
erlöst durch des Creuzes Bitterkeit,
mach uns selig Herr Gott in Ewigkeit. Amen.

TLH (tr. J. M. Neale)

O Cross, our one reliance, hail!
So may thy power with us avail
To give new virtue to the saint
And pardon to the penitent.

To Thee, eternal Three in One,
Let homage meet by all be done,
Whom by the cross Thou dost restore,
Preserve, and govern evermore.