Danket dem Herren allezeit

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Danket dem Herren allezeit” (Burkard Waldis, d. 1556), based on Psalm CV, Confitemini Domino, with title “A psalm of thanksgiving that God has sustained, increased, and wonderfully blessed His elect people.” The melody by Waldis follows the Lutheran hymn meter (87.87.887), in which, as usual with Waldis, the last lines of every two stanzas rhyme together. I give it transposed down slightly. The copy of the Psalter at Wolfenbüttel has a handwritten note indicating as an alternate melody “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her.”

 

 

THANK ye the Lord unceasingly,
Praise for His doings bringing,
Extol His name’s great majesty,
Of all His wonders singing!
The Lord your God seek and adore
And praise His Word forevermore,
His works recalling ever!

2 Ye that the children are of faith,
Of Abr’ham’s seed descending,
Whom God of old elected hath
The name of Jacob lending,
Bless ye the Lord our God for’er,
Who did the whole wide world prepare,
That ye His Word might savor.

3 His covenant He keeps in mind
For many_a generation,
His ancient oath, which doth Him bind
With Abr’ham’s future nation,
And to His servant Isaac dear
And Jacob as a right fore’er,
A solemn objuration.

4 He said, “The land of Canaan far
Shall to you be submissive,
Although thereto ye strangers are,
And they speaks words derisive,
Since ye are few.” Thus by God’s hand
They wandered on through many_a land,
Through many_a foreign nation.

5 He made the heathen kingdoms cease,
Their princes’ reigns He ended,
Gave them security and peace
From all assaults defended,
And said, “Whom I anoint, touch not,
Nor harm the prophets I have taught,
Or vengeance shall be taken.”

6 When famine came upon the land,
And all men faced starvation,
Then Joseph came by God’s wise hand,
To ready a salvation.
His brothers sold him as a slave,
His limbs to stocks and chains they gave,
His heart with grief was shaken.

7 Until God’s Word made him to speak
The truth by pow’r from heaven;
Then did the king an answer seek
For visions to him given.
Of all his goods he made him lord,
And o’er his house the watch and ward,
Crowned with esteem excelling.

8 That so his kingdom’s princes might
Grow wiser by his learning,
His elders also to the light
Of God most High be turning,
Till Jacob into Egypt sped
From Canaan, and the famine fled,
Where long he had been dwelling.

9 Then did they wax and much increase
As God did multiply them,
So that their foes could have no peace,
And thought how to destroy them,
Because the Lord took up their part,
They hated them with all their heart,
With craft thought how to end them.

10 His servant Moses then God sent,
And Aaron, His anointed,
That they by wondrous testament
Might show God’s will appointed.
Then Moses did, with Aaron too,
Submit to God, His will to do,
To save them and defend them.

11 He turned their water into blood,
Fish died as they were swimming;
The day grew dark as blackest mud,
The land with frogs was teeming,
And lice, and flies in everything,
E’en in the house of prince and king,
In every nook and cranny!

12 His storms of hailstones did not tire
Till all the vines were taken;
With sunshine, lightning, thunder, fire
The figs from trees were shaken.
Their fruit was ruined by these storms,
And none could stop the countless swarms,
The locusts were too many.

13 The caterpillars all devoured
In field and garden growing,
The herbs and grass they overpowered
Wherever leaf was showing.
The firstborn both of beast and men
In Egypt’s land He slaughtered then,
The heirs all dead were lying.

14 His people from the land He led,
With gold and silver dressèd
No harm or sickness o’er them spread,
No sword their way suppressèd.
Then joy filled all of Egypt’s land,
They feared the Lord’s almighty hand,
Though they must all be dying.

15 By day His cloud above them lay
From heat of sun to hide them,
His fire the darkness drove away,
So that naught terrified them.
In their distress their mouths He fed,
And sated them with heav’nly bread,
And sent them quail abounding.

16 He water from the rock did press,
And forth its fountain flowèd,
And in the parchèd wilderness
Great rivers He bestowèd.
He kept the cov’nant that He swore
To Abraham so long before
By His own lips resounding.

17 Thus with all joy God brought His own
From Egypt’s land, to save them.
His glorious name He thus made known,
The heathen’s land He gave them,
That they His statutes e’er should hold,
His Law that He by Moses told,
With sights and sounds of wonder.

¶ For all His grace and wonders
And gifts beyond all measure,
That He hath shown us, by which He
Hath given us great pleasure,
To God the Father and the Son
And Holy Ghost, all praise be done
Both now and ever yonder!

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Dancket dem HERREN allezeit,
Lobt jn in all seinn dingen,
Rhümet seins Namens herrlichkeyt,
Von seinen wundern singen,
Sucht jn mit fleis, und bett in an,
Seins worts und wunder lobesan,
Wöllet allzeit gedencken.

2 Die jr des glaubens kinder seit,
Geborn von Abrams samen,
Und außerwelt vor langer zeit,
Von Jacob habt den Namen,
Preiset den HERREN unsern Gott,
Der alle welt zurichten hat,
Nach seim wort euch zu lencken.

3 Ewig denckt Er an seinen bundt,
Den Er von vilen jaren,
Des worts, das Er mit seinem mundt
Abraham hat geschworen.
Das gab Er Isac seinem knecht,
Und Jacob für ein Ewigs recht,
sich mit jn zu verbinden.

4 Sprach: Das land Canaan gar weit,
Sol euch sein underthänig,
Ob jr gleich frembdling drinnen seit,
Und an der zal gar wenig,
Drumb zogens auch druch manches landt,
Liessen sich under seiner handt
Bei frembden völckern finden.

5 Umb jrent willn hat Er gestrafft
Die Königreich der heyden
In sicherheyt und frid verschafft,
Niemand must sie beleyden.
Sprach: Meine gsalbten greifft nicht an,
Mit frid laß mein Propheten gan,
Ich wills sunst an euch rechen.

6 Da kam ein theurung in das landt,
War hunger bei eim jedern,
Joseph ward vor jn hin gesandt,
Verkaufft von seinen brüdern,
Sie zwungen seine füß im stock,
Sein leib in eisen gfangen lag,
Möcht jm sein hertz zerbrechen.

7 Biß das Gotts wort kam uber jn,
Die Träwm zu deuten eben,
Da sandte bald der König hin,
Daß man jn loß solt geben,
Satzt jn zum Herrn ubr all sein gut,
Des Königs hauß het Er in hut,
Mit ehren ward gekrönet.

8 Daß Er die Fürsten in sein Reich
Die weißheyt möchte leren,
Sein eltisten auch alle gleich
Zum rechten Gott bekeren,
Biß Jacob in Egypten zoch,
Auß Canaan die theurung floch,
Drinn Er lang hett gewonet.

9 Da wuchsen sie und wurden groß,
Sich mechtig zu vermehren,
Das ire feinde hart verdroß,
Dachten sie zu verstören,
Drumb, daß sich irer Gott annam,
Wurden sie jn von hertzen gram,
Dachtens mit list zu dempffen.

10 Seinn knecht Mosen Er zu jn sandt,
Aaron den außerwelten,
Daß sie durch wunderthat im land,
Den willen Gotts erzelten,
Da ward Moses und Aaron
Dem Gotes willen underthan,
Und musten für jn kempffen.

11 Zu blut Er jre wasser macht,
Bgundt jre fisch zu tödten,
Der tag ward finster wie die nacht,
Ir land wimmlet von krötten.
Leuß, ungezifer uberall,
In der Fürsten und Königs saal,
In allen jren Stetten.

12 Er gab in hagel ungeheur,
Schlug Trauben von den zweigen,
Fürn Sonnenschein, blitz, donner, feur,
Von bäumen schlug die feigen.
Ir gwechs zerschmettert allzumal,
Kamen hewschrecken one zal,
Und kondt sie niemand retten.

13 Der keffer alle frücht aufffraß,
In gärten und in felden,
Das kraut und alles grüne graß,
An bergen und in welden.
Was gantzes land Egypten trug,
Ir erst geburt Er all erschlug,
All jre ersten Erben.

14 Sein volck Er auß dem lande fürt,
Mit silber, goldt beschweret,
Keyn schad noch krankheyt sie berürt,
Keyn schwerdt sie auch verseret.
Da frewet sich Egypten land
Förchten die starcke Gottes hand,
Doch mustens alle sterben.

15 Des tags kam in die wolck zu stewr,
Sie vor der hitz zu decken,
Im finsterniß leucht in das fewr,
Daß sie keyn nacht mocht schrecken.
Er speiset sie in jrer not,
Und settigt sie mit Himelbrot,
Und ließ vil wachteln kommen.

16 Da öffnet Er den felsen frei,
Daß wasser außherflossen,
Und in der dürren wüstenei,
Sich grosse bech ergossen.
Dann Er gedacht an seinen bund,
Denselb geschworen her sein mund,
Abraham dem vil frommen.

17 So fürt Gott auß Egyptenland
Sein volck mit allen freuden,
Seinn Namen herrlich macht bekandt
Gab in die land der Heyden,
Daß sie sein rechte halten solln,
Sein gsetz die Er jn hat befohln,
Wie sie Es han vernommen.

¶ Für all sein güt und wunderthat,
Und unzeliche gaben,
Die Er uns je erzeyget hat,
Und wirs empfangen haben,
Sei lob dem Vatter und dem Son,
Gott heylgem Geyst dem tröster fron,
Biß wir dort zu jm kommen.