Freunde, stellt das Weinen ein

Here is my translation of the Death & Burial hymn, “Freunde, stellt das Weinen ein” (Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer, d. 1699), composed in the voice of the recently deceased. It is found in GGELB #495 with melody assignment “Jesus meine Zuversicht” and ascription to the Marburg Hymnal of 1781. The 1854 and 1866 eds. of that hymnal ascribe the text to Johann Heermann erroneously. Fischer’s lexicon omits the title. I find it earliest in Peter Sohr’s Musicalischer Vorschmack (1683) with melody assignment “Nicht so traurig, nicht so sehr” (presumably with splitting of final note in lines 2 and 4) as well as Sohr’s own music, and ascription to Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer; so also in Vollständiges Gesang-Buch [Hanover] (Rinteln, 1725), no. 740, with mel.: “Nicht so traurig” and ascription to Sacer. It is further included among Sacer’s hymns in Wetzel’s Hymnopoeographia III (1724), p. 6.

 

FRIENDS, your weeping put away;
Wipe your tears, ye tender-hearted!
Why should ye lament this day
That I have from you departed?
Let not grief your hearts possess!
I am freed from all distress.

2 When my body’s life expired,
Then were all my foes defeated!
While my soul to heav’n aspired,
Oft my flesh therewith competed;
Since my body now is gone,
Sweetest rest my soul hath won.

3 Out of prison now I fly,
Out of anguish, out of sorrow,
Till God calls me home on high
Out of earth some blissful morrow.
Why should ye of death complain,
Which hath only been my gain?

4 Say, what is that life I scorn?
Is it not a pathway really
That is never free from thorn?
Ye must all confess too freely
That I’m free from every plight.
So I bid you all good night.

5 Oh, what misery and pain
Yet must still be suff’ring daily,
Ye who on the earth remain!
Of what poor defense avail ye?
They but free from scathe are made
Who in graves are safely laid.

6 Am I dead? What is there more?
To the world I once did waken.
Now do ye lament so sore
That from you I have been taken?
All we to this world come in,
That we may depart again.

7 Yea, my Jesus, what is more,
Won for me salvation ever.
When I pass the earthen door
I will know corruption never.
By the Lord’s arising, I
Enter heaven’s gate thereby.

8 Look with cheerful countenance
As within the earth I’m buried;
For my spirit, mind, and sense
To my Savior have been carried,
Who my limbs shall new array
And rejoin to me some day.

9 Dies the Christian, dies his woe,
And with death his dying dieth.
Only gladness now I know,
Endless joy that time defieth.
O mortality, away!
For I now shall live for aye.

10 Friends, your weeping put away;
Wipe your tears, ye tender-hearted!
Why should ye lament this day
That I have from you departed?
Let not grief your hearts possess!
I am freed from all distress.

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Freunde, stellt das weinen ein,
Wischt die thränen von den wangen,
Was soll doch das klagen sein,
Daß ich von euch weggegangen?
Trauret nicht um meinen tod,
ich bin frei von aller noth.

2 Da mein leib darnieder fiel,
Fiel auch mit mein feind darnieder,
Meiner seelen höchstem ziel
ware je meine fleisch zuwider;
Weil mein lieb nun weggeraft,
Ist ir süsse ruh geschaft.

3 Aus dem kerker geh ich aus,
Aus der angst und aus dem jammer,
Bis mich Gott ins himmels-haus
Ruft aus meiner erden-kammer.
Was klagt ihr den tod so an?
Der nichts arges mir gethan.

4 Sagt, was dieses leben sei?
Ist es nicht ein weg zu nennen,
Der von dornen niemals frei?
All müsset ihr bekennen,
Daß mein schwerer gang vollbracht,
Da ich gebe gute nacht.

5 Was für elend und für leid
Müßt ihr täglich noch erfahren,
Die ihr auf der erden seid?
Wie könnt ihr euch gnug verwahren?
Der nur bleibet unversehrt,
Der ins sichre grab gekehrt.

6 Bin ich tod? Was ist es mehr?
Ich bin auf die welt gekommen:
Klaget ihr dann nun so sehr,
Daß ich bin hinweg genommen?
Man kommt in der welt ihr haus,
Dazs man wider geh hinaus.

7 Ferner hat mein Jesus mir
Dort die seligkiet erworben,
Geh ich ein zur grabes-thür,
Ich bin dannoch unverdorben,
Durch des Herren auferstehn
Werd ich in den himmel gehn.

8 Seht mit munterm angesicht,
Wie ich werd ins grab gesenket,
Dann es ist mein leben nicht
Ewig von mir abgelenket:
Es soll mir in jener welt
Schöner werden zugestellt.

9 Stirbt ein christ, so stirbt sein leid,
Auch sein tod stirbt mit dem sterben,
Ich erwarte nun die freud,
Die ich ewig soll ererben;
Zeitlichkeit fahr immer hin,
Weil ich jetzt verewigt bin.

10 Freunde! stellt das weinen ein,
Wischt die thränen von den wangen,
Was soll doch das klagen sein,
Daß ich von euch weggegangen?
Trauret nicht um meinen tod,
Ich ben frei von aller noth.

Gott Vater, dir sei Preis (= Ehr sei Gott in der Höh)

Here is my translation of the doxological stanza, “Gott Vater, dir sei Preis” (Anon., 1657), in ELGB #426, also attached to “O Gott du frommer Gott,” the preceding hymn #425. The Buffalo Synod hymnal gives it the title “Doxology for singing in the previous hymn and also in other cases,” implying its usage with others in this meter, i.e., most notably, “Now thank we all our God.” Indeed, an early instance of this doxology (Goßlar Gsb 1682) is attached to “Nun danket alle Gott” with asterisk. In fact, it is originally 5th stanza of the Gloria in excelsis paraphrase, “Ehr sei Gott in der Höh,” an anonymous adaptation of Decius’s text to the meter of “O Gott du frommer Gott,” first appearing in the Hanover Gsb 1657, printed in Lüneburg. It received a proper melody by W. Weßnitzer in 1665. Peter Sohr’s Musicalischer Vorschmack (1683) gives that hymn a different proper melody, which he also included earlier in Praxis Pietatis Melica (1668) which he edited. However, the Gotha Gsb has it as the 9th stanza of Hermann’s hymn, and evidently comes to our hymnal from that tradition. For completeness’ sake, it seems appropriate to include here the German stanzas of the original hymn, though only the last is of concern for the Buffalo Synod hymnal.

 

PRAISE, God the Father, be
To Thee here and in heaven,
Lord Jesus, God the Son,
Praise e’er to Thee be given.
O God the Holy Ghost,
Praise sound forth unto Thee.
To Thee, O triune God,
Praise, laud, and glory be!

—

 

 

 

PRAISE be to God on high,
Thanks for His grace and favor,
For now no thing can harm
Our blessedness forever:
For now the Most High God
With good will to us bends,
With everlasting peace,
All conflict now He ends.

2 O Father, for Thy grace
Receive our due thanksgiving,
For from eternity
Thou reignest everliving,
Wholly without constraint,
Lord, is Thy wondrous powr!
What but Thy will decides
Must be the selfsame hour.

3 O Jesus Christ, the Son
Begotten of the Father,
Who hast atoned for sin,
Brought God and man together:
O Lamb of God, O Lord,
The God-Man, now give heed:
Have mercy, and receive
Our pray’r in time of need!

4 O precious Holy Ghost,
Thou Fount with comforts running,
Defend us mightily
From Satan’s craft and cunning.
Deliv’rance from all grief,
From pain and need provide,
For we are dearly bought
By Christ the Crucified.

5 Praise, God the Father, be
To Thee here and in heaven,
Lord Jesus, God the Son,
Praise e’er to Thee be given.
O God the Holy Ghost,
Praise sound forth unto Thee.
To Thee, O triune God,
Praise, laud, and glory be!

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Ehr sei Gott in der Höh,
und Dank für seine Gnade,
daß nun und nimmermehr
uns rühren kann kein Schade:
mit Wohlgefallen sich
der Höchste zu uns wend,
ohn Unterlaß ist Fried,
all Fehde hat ein End.

2 O Vater deiner Gnad
und Gütigkeit, wir danken,
daß du von Ewigkeit
regierst ohn alles Wanken:
ganz ungemessen ist,
Herr, deine Wundermacht,
sehr bald geschicht, was nur [sofort…]
dein Wille hat bedacht.

3 O Jesu Christe, Sohn
des Vaters eingeboren,
Versöhner derer, die
in Sünden ganz verloren:
Lamm Gottes, einger Herr,
o wahrer Mensch und Gott,
erbarme dich, nimm an,
die Bitt in unser Noth.

4 O werther heilger Geist,
du Tröster frommer Christen,
behüt uns kräftiglich,
fürs Satans Tück und Listen.
Errette uns auch sonst
aus Trübsal, Noth und Pein,
die wir durch Christi Tod
so theur erlöset sein.

5 Gott Vater, Dir sei Preis,
hier und im Himmel oben,
Gott Sohn, Herr Jesu Christ!
Dich will ich allzeit loben. [wir wollen dich stets…]
Gott heilger Geist! Dein Ruhm
erschall je mehr und mehr. [erschalle…]
O Herr, dreieinger Gott!
Dir sei Lob, Preis und Ehr.

"O Tod, wo ist dein Stachel nun"

I just wanted to let everyone know about a mostly forgotten translation of an Easter hymn, "O Tod, wo ist dein Stachel nun" (G. Weißel, 1644, alt. Hannover, 1657) that may be found in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal of the Ohio "Joint Synod" (published 1896). I have changed one word in stanza 2, last line: "crushed" was "bruised" in the English (though the German is zertreten, trampled). In KELG (Walther) it was sung to "Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gott" (others set it to "Es ist das Heil uns kommen her"), but it does have its own melody by Peter Sohr (1668), which I give here from the modern ELK:

O DEATH! where is thy cruèl sting?
O grave! where is thy power?
What harm to us can Satan bring
Though threatening to devour?
Thanks be to God! of glorious might,
Who conquered for us in this fight
Through Jesus Christ our Captain.

2. How fiercely the arch-serpent raged,
When Christ his might contested!
Yet Christ, though all hell’s hosts engaged,
Their prowess from them wrested.
And though the serpent pricked his heel,
Yet was he made its weight to feel;
His head is crushed forever.

3. And now Christ comes to life again,
And breaks death’s chain asunder;
He binds the foe, takes hell amain,
And wrests from him his plunder.
No power can stay the victor’s march,
He enters the triumphal arch:―
All must succumb before Him.

4. A death to death, to hell a pest,
Christ is become by dying;
Still Satan rages without rest
With murd’rous will and lying.
And since he cannot come with might,
He turns accuser, day and night;
But judged, he stands rejected.

5. The Lord’s right hand, His holy arm,
The victory retaineth;
No might of foes can Him disarm,
The glory His reinaineth.
Now sin and Satan, death and hell,
Are ousted from their citadel;
Their wrath is fierce, yet pow’rless.

6. The Christ of God, God’s Son, was dead;
But lo, He ever liveth!
As He arose, our living Head,
So life to us He giveth.
Now, who believes on Jesus’ Word
From death and grave shall be restored,
And live, e’en though he dieth.

7. He who with Christ arises here
By faith and daily sorrow,
The second death need never fear:
Heav’n’s his eternal morrow.
Death’s swallowed up in victory,
And life and immortality
Are brought to light by Jesus.

8. Forgiveness, peace, joy, righteousness,
On earth and there in heaven―
These are the Easter-spoils that bless
The hearts to Jesus given.
So we, His heirs, wait patiently
Until our bodies fashioned be
Like His own glorious body.

9. The ancient dragon, with his brood,
Is hurled to degradation;
They lay a mock, with scorn subdued,
When Christ rose with salvation.
The gain of our triumphant Head
Is ours, His members; hence we dread
No more the serpent’s power.

10. O Death! where is thy cruel sting?
O grave! where is thy power?
What harm to us can Satan bring,
Though threat’ning to devour?
Thanks be to God! of glorious might,
Who conquered for us in this fight
Through Jesus Christ our Captain.