Herr unser Gott, dich loben wir

Here is my translation of the praise hymn “Herr unser Gott, dich loben wir” (asc. Burchard Wiesenmayer, fl. 17th c.), a metrical Te Deum, described by the titles (e.g. “The Te Deum put into better meter”) accompanying it in various hymnals, as a revision of Luther’s Te Deum (“Herr Gott, dich loben wir”) accomodated to unison singing (rather than antiphonal) to a standard LM melody. In my translation from the German, I have used Richard Massie’s translation in certain places where it seemed fitting, just as the German text is evidently based on Luther’s rendering in many passages, though adaptation to LM has generally required more syllables to be added. While Wiesenmayer (whose hymns esp. the morning hymn “Wie schön leucht uns der Morgenstern”) seems, from his association with Crüger, to have been Lutheran and is given, on the ultimate basis of the Elberfelder Hymnal, by Emigrated Lutheran Church of Prussia as the author, that group must have received the hymn through Unionist materials drawing from the Elberfelder Hymnal (such as Neuestes Gemeinschaftliches Gesangbuch…) and retained it because of its usefulness. The Pennsylvania Ministerium hymnal similarly attributes the hymn to the Elberfelder Hymnal. In the earliest hymnal in which it is found by the translator, the Lippstadt Reformed hymnal of 1738 (Neu-verbessertes Kirchen-Gesangbuch…), it is without author and set to a melody for “Psalm 100”—not that of Geneva, called in English “Old Hundredth” (in German: “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir” or sometimes “Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend”) but that melody used by the Reformed in Northern Germany in the 18th century. In the Wisconsin Synod hymnal, it is appointed to be sung to the melody “Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her,” presumably that version most common in contemporary sources.

O LORD our God, Thy praise we sing!
Great God, our thanks to Thee we bring;
God, Father from eternity!
The whole wide world doth worship Thee,

2 All angels and the heavn’ly host
And all that of Thy glory boast,
The Cherubim and Seraphim
Sing ever with glad voice this hymn:

3 “Most holy is the Lord our God,
Jehovah, Lord of Sabaoth!
Yea, Holy, Holy, Holy One
Jehovah, Father, Spirit, Son!

4 Thy glory, pow’r, and majesty
Fill heav’n and earth abundantly;
The holy Apostolic band
And prophets all together stand

5 And with the noble martyrs raise
Their voice to Thee in hymns of praise.
All Christendom with one accord
Throughout the world owns Thee as Lord—

6 Thee, Father, on the highest throne,
And Christ, Thy one begotten Son,
The Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
With equal praise are hailed by her.

7 O Jesus Christ, Thou King most high,
The Father’s Son eternally;
The Master, Thou becam’st a slave,
And Man wast made, mankind to save.

8 The death of death Thou, Lord, hast wrought,
To heaven’s kingdom Christians brought.
Thou sittest at the Father’s right,
One with Him in His glorious light.

9 Thou shalt be Judge and justice give
Of all the dead and all that live;
Therefore Thy servants help, Lord God,
Who are redeemèd by Thy blood.

10 Let us with saints a place possess
In everlasting blessedness!
Thy people save in every age,
O Lord, and bless Thine heritage.

11 Protect Thy church at every hour
And lift her up forevermore!
We worship Thee, Lord, day by day,
To Thee our thanks we ever pay.

12 Keep us this day, Lord, faithfully,
Without sin and iniquity;
Thy mercy, Lord, on us bestow,
Have mercy in all time of woe!

13 Thy mercy be upon us, Lord,
Thy Spirit’s help to us afford;
O Lord, we put our trust in Thee,
Let us confounded never be.

Translation © 2022 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Herr unser Gott dich loben wir!
O großer Gott, wir danken dir!
Dich Vater, Gott von Ewigkeit,
der Weltkreis ehret weit und breit!

2 All Engel und des Himmels Heer,
und was da dienet deiner Ehr,
die Cherubim und Seraphim
lobsingen stets mit froher Stimm:

3 Hochheilig ist der große Gott,
Jehovah, der Herr Zebaoth!
Ja heilig, heilig, heilig heißt
Jehovah, Vater, Sohn und Geist.

4 Dein göttlich Macht und Herrlichkeit
geht über Himm'l und Erde weit.
Der heiligen Apostel Zahl,
und die lieben Propheten all;

5 Die theuren Märt'rer allzumal
dich loben stets mit großem Schall.
Die ganze werthe Christenheit
rühmt dich auf Erden weit und breit.

6 Dich, Vater, Gott, im höchsten Thron,
und deinen eingebornen Sohn,
den heilgen Geist und Tröster werth,
mit gleichem Dienst sie lobt und ehrt.

7 Du höchster König, Jesu Christ,
des Vaters ewger Sohn du bist;
du wardst ein Mensch, der Herr ein Knecht,
zu retten das menschlich Geschlecht.

8 Du hast dem Tod zerstört sein macht,
zum Himmelreich die Christen bracht.
Du sitzst zur Rechten Gottes gleich
mit aller Ehr ins Vaters Reich.

9 Ein Richter du zukünftig bist
Alles, was tot und lebend ist.
Nun hilf uns, Herr, den Dienern dein,
die durch dein Blut erlöset sein!

10 Laß uns im Himmel haben Teil
mit den Heilgen am ewgen Heil!
Hilf deinem Volk, Herr Jesu Christ,
und segne was dein Erbteil ist!

11 Beschirm dein Kirch zu aller Zeit
erheb sie hoch in Ewigkeit!
Täglich, Herr Gott, wir loben dich,
und danken dir, Herr, stetiglich.

12 Behüt uns Herr, o treuer Gott,
vor aller Sünde und Missetat!
Sei gnädig uns, o Herre Gott!
Sei gnädig uns in aller Not!

13 Zeig uns deine Barmherzigkeit,
dein guter Geist uns stets begleit;
wir hoffen auf dich lieber Herr,
in Schanden laß uns nimmermehr.