Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase “Merk auf, mein Volk, zu dieser Stund” (Burkard Waldis, d. 1556), part 1 of 2, based on Psalm LXXVIII, Attendite popule, with title, “An instruction that God punishes unbelief, that we may trust in Him, and take comfort in His grace and almighty power.” Because of the length, I have divided this into two more manageable parts of 15 stanzas each. The Ionian melody by Waldis lends a cheerful tone to this overview of Israel’s repeated vacillations. it is composed in the meter 87.87.87.87.48, also used for Waldis’s Psalms XXII, XCI, XCII, and CXLIV. I give the melody dropped ever so slightly. Stanzas 16–30 will follow in the next post.
Your ears incline intently,
Receive my mouth’s true words with awe,
And listen diligently!
My mouth in parables I loose,
I tell the ancient story,
That ye may hearken, nor refuse
To give God’s Word the glory.
What we have heard
We now make known as God’s own Word.
2 All that our fathers to us told,
Heard from those long before us,
That, when youth ask of days of old,
They might hear wonders glorious,
For those that after us should come
In every generation,
Shall hear the praise of Christendom
That sings God’s adoration,
And doth proclaim
His deeds of wonder and His fame.
3 He hath a testimony made,
A Law to Isr’el given,
That He should ever be obeyed,
And they walk as in heaven,
With all their children evermore,
And those to follow later,
According to His rule of yore,
His statutes count as greater,
Nor Him forget,
Obeying His commandments yet.
4 That they in time should wander not,
Unruly, disobeying,
As did their faithless fathers’ lot,
Inconstant, ever straying.
They set not spirit, heart, and mind
On God’s true Word unfailing;
In woes they from His way declined,
Their error soon bewailing,
Whose faithlessness
Despaired of God in their distress.
5 Then Ephraim went in array,
And into battle led them
But fell back in the evil day;
In need their courage fled them.
They held not to God’s covenant,
His Law to keep while living,
Forgot His help that He had lent,
The good commandments given,
The wonders vast
Which He had done them in the past.
6 The Lord in ancient Egypt’s land
Did mighty wonders show them,
The sea divided by His hand,
That no wet ground should slow them.
The waters like two walls did tow’r
Till they had passed between them,
Then Pharaoh heart was all too sour,
And longed again to gain them,
But all was lost,
The sea fell, and consumed his host.
7 By day He led them with a cloud
On either side did shield them,
And with a fire in night’s dark shroud
A lighted pathway yield them.
The rocks there in the wilderness
He made their water-giver,
And brake them in their dry distress,
To flow with many_a river.
And drink them gave,
Both mean and beast in joy to save.
8 Yet did they sin against God still,
And made God’s wrath to flourish,
And said (with mock’ry and ill will)
How shall He now us nourish,
And give us goodly flesh to eat
According to our willing,
And make our soul with joy replete,
Its wicked lusts fulfilling,
Like days of yore,
When were still on Egypt’s shore.
9 Although the solid rock He brake,
And water gave abounding,
And man and beast their thirst might slake,
With plenteous streams surrounding,
Yet shall He have the pow’r indeed
With bread here to provide us,
And with good flesh our mouths to feed,
To cheer our soul inside us,
And every dish
To give us as our hearts might wish?
10 The Lord grew wroth, thus to be crossed,
This blasphemy perceiving,
And thought that Jacob should be lost
And Isr’el set to grieving,
Because their God they did not trust,
Nor hoped in Him to save them,
He gave command, that heaven must
Be opened then, and gave them
Proof of His pow’r,
His wonders on them did He show’r.
11 When He the heavens opened wide,
And showed His pow’r astounding,
The precious Manna did provide,
From heav’n rained bread abounding.
They ate the bread and well were filled
With precious food of heaven,
For to appease them thus He willed
That Angel’s bread be given.
His pow’r thus God
From heaven by sure tokens showed.
12 Then caused He an east-wind to blow,
Amid the heaven moving;
Wind from the south He made to flow,
His pow’r and might thus proving.
He rained down flesh on every side,
As dust, that must astound them,
And feathered fowls in droves supplied,
Like sand on seas all round them,
So that their tents
And lands were filled with flocks immense.
13 So did they eat, and sated were,
Their wicked lust fulfilling,
But soon God’s wrath did brightly flare,
Their laughter quickly stilling.
While in their mouths the meat was yet,
And they the quail were chewing,
God paid them for their grievous debt,
His wrath on them renewing,
So that there fell
At once the best of Israel.
14 Besides this they would sin yet more,
Not in those works believing,
Then God unleashed His vengeance sore,
And set death’s pow’r to reaving,
They failed the promised land to gain,
Therefore they were excluded,
In desert graves they would remain,
Where long astray they brooded.
A fearful throng,
Afflicted now their whole life long.
15 When He took hold of them in wrath
And plagues and sickness gave them
They cried to Him in new-found faith,
And turned to Him, to save them.
They soon remembered God’s true Word,
And cried, O Lord and Savior!
As if their voice the Most High heard,
And would their band deliver,
With pious gleam
They did like very converts seem.
. . .
Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.
GERMAN
Merck uff mein volck zu diser stund,
Und neygen ewre Ohren,
Faßt wol die red auß meinem mund,
Und wöllet fleissig hören,
Meinn mund thu ich in sprüchen auff,
Erzel die alten gschichten,
Daß ir betracht und mercket drauff,
Nach Gottes wort zu richten,
Was wir han ghört,
Verkündn wir jetz wie Gottes wort.
2 Was unser Vätter uns gesagt,
Gehört von iren alten,
Das, wann wir wurden drumb gefragt,
Solten wirs nicht verhalten,
Dann die hernach auch kommen wern,
Von kind zu kindes kinden,
Den rhum, den preiß, die macht des HERRN,
Mit ehren zu verkünden,
Welch er gethan,
Und wil daß wir gedencken dran.
3 Er hat ein zeugniß auffgericht,
Sein Gsetz Israel geben,
Damit im solten sein verpflicht,
Nach seinn gebotten zleben,
Mit irem kindern für und für,
Und all die nachher kemen,
Nach seiner Regel und rechtschnur,
Sein satzung anzunehmen,
Dächten seinr that,
Und hielten was Er gbotten hat.
4 Daß sie nicht würden nach der zeit,
Unghorsam und abtrinnig,
Gleich iren vättern glaubloß leut,
Unstet, und widerspennig.
Welchen ir geyst, ir sinn und hertz,
An Gott nicht hielt mit trewen,
Im unfal trattens hinderwertz,
Das möcht sie wol gerewen,
Daß sie an Gott,
Allzeit verzagten in der not.
5 Da Ephraim auch furt den streit,
Vil jar den vorzug hetten,
Fielen zuruck zur bösen zeit
In nöten abzutretten,
Sie hielten nicht den gotts bundt,
Nach seim gesetz zu leben,
Verassen seiner that zur stundt,
Der gbott die in warn geben,
Der wunder groß,
Die Er bei in thet one moß.
6 Irn vättern in Egypten land,
Erzeygt Er grosse wunder,
Das Meer zertheylt sein Göttlich hand,
Stelt jedes theyl besonder,
Da stund das wasser wie ein mawr
Biß sie durch hin warn gangen,
Das ward dem PHaro allzu sawr,
Als in auch thet verlangen,
Den traff das Meer,
Verseufft in, und sein gantzes Heer.
7 Des tags fürt sie ein wolcken schnell,
Und schützts von beyden seitten,
So leucht des nachts ein fewr so hell,
Thet sie im frid geleyten.
Die felsen in der wüsteney,
Zuhand das wasser gussen,
Da sie Gott schlug, und riß entzwey,
Die bäch wie strom herflussen,
Da trenckt er sie,
Daß sich erfreweet beyd mensch und vih.
8 Noch sündigten sie wider Gott,
Erzürnten iren HERREN,
Und sprachen (im zum hon und spott)
Wie wirt er uns erneren?
Daß Er uns fleysch zu essen geb,
Nach unsers hertzen willen,
Und unser seel in freuden leb,
Die lüsten zu erfüllen,
Gleichwie zu forn,
Da wir noch in Egypten warn.
9 Ob Er gleich schlug den felsen hart,
Das wasser außherflussen,
Da mensch und vih getrencket ward,
Als sich die bäch ergussen.
Dennoch Er solche macht nicht hat,
Daß Er hie brodt kündt geben,
Und uns des fleysches machen sat,
Daß unser seelen leben,
Und unser lust,
Nach allem willen würd gebußt.
10 Gar bald entbrandt des HERREN zorn,
Da Er das lestern höret,
Dacht Jacob solt sein gar verlorn,
Und Israel zerstöret,
Daß sie nicht glaubten irem Gott,
Auff seine hülff zu hoffen,
Den wolcken droben bald gebot,
Must sich der himel öffen.
Da sah man dradt,
Des HERREN macht und wunderthat.
11 Als Ern himel het auffgethan,
Thet seine macht bewegen,
Da gab er in das edle Man,
Ließ brot vom himel regnen,
Das sie assen und wurden sat
Der himelischen speise,
Die Er in zessen geben hat,
Sein Gottheit zubeweisen,
Das Engel brot
Gab vom himel der Herre Gott.
12 Er ließ darnach den Ostenwind,
Under dem himel weben,
Und auß dem Suden gar geschwind,
Gund sich sein macht erheben.
Da regnets fleysch runds umb sie her,
Wie staub thet ers in senden,
Und vögel wie der Sand am Meer,
Fundens an allen enden,
Damit ir zelt
Erfüllet, und das gantze veldt.
13 Davon sie assen allesant,
Und büßten iren lusten,
Bald uber sie der zorn entbrandt,
Daß sies bezalen musten.
Die speiß war noch in irem mund,
Da sie die wachteln assen,
Da schlug sie Gott zur selben stund,
Danider wie sie sassen,
Und sturben schnell
Die besten leut in Israel.
14 Uber das sündigten sie noch,
Glaubten nit an die wunder,
Da saumpt Gott auch nit mit der rach,
Der Todt zoch sie hinunder,
Erlangten nicht das gute landt,
Drumb sie warn außgezogen,
Verstorben eintzeln allesant,
In der wüstnei da lagen.
Da war in bang,
Wurden geplagt ir leben lang.
15 Wann Er sie greyff der massen an,
Und schlugs mit plag darnider,
So rieffen sie den HERREN an,
Kerten sich zu im wider.
Gedachten bald an Gottes wort,
Und rieffen, HERRE, HERRE.
Als ob der höchste Gott ir hort,
Und ir erlöser were,
Stelten sich frumm,
Als wolten sie sich keren umb.
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