Herr Jesu Christe, Gottes Sohn (Der du vom hohen Himmelsthron)

Here is my translation of the Advent hymn “Herr Jesu Christe, Gottes Sohn, / Der du vom hohen Himmelsthron” (David Behme, 1704), which forms the last Advent hymn in the Ev.-Luth. Gesangbuch #115. It is not to be confused with several other hymns sharing the first line, most notably Nicolaus Selnecker’s hymn on Psalm 73. Though it clearly dates to the 17th c., as testified by Fischer on the basis of the author’s biography corroborated by early hymnological witnesses, Mützell can furnish no text earlier than that of the Oelsnitz hymnal of 1735. There the melody is “O [or Herr] Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht,” (i.e., the melody associated with Martin Böhme’s hymn of that name), but in the Wisc. Synod hymnal, “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir.”

 

LORD Jesus Christ, God’s very Son
Who from the high and heav’nly throne
Into this world didst once descend,
To be our Good, all ills to mend:

2 To Thee we humbly thanks impart
At every hour with lips and heart
That by Thine advent Thou hast brought
Eternal life to be our lot.

3 O faithful Lord, we Thee implore
Since now the end is far no more,
Us to Thy grace receive and keep
Forever as Thy faithful sheep.

4 Grant us a worthy way to wend,
And blessedly our course to end,
That we may love and worship Thee
In time and in eternity.

Translation © 2022 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Herr Jesu Christe, Gottes Sohn,
Der du vom hohen Himmelsthron
Herab bist kommen in die Welt,
Und uns zu gut dich eingestellt,

2. Wir danken dir mit Herz und Mund
Demütiglich zu aller Stund,
Daß du uns schenkest zum Erbteil
Durch dein Zukunft das ewge Heil.

3. Wir bitten dich, o treuer Herr,
Weil nun das End nicht mehr ist fern,
Du wollest uns zu Gnaden dein
Dir lassen stets befohlen sein.

4. Hilf, daß wir leben würdiglich,
Und in dir sterben seliglich;
Daß wir lieben und loben dich
Hier zeitlich und dort ewiglich.