Here is my translation of the faith/justification hymn “Mir ist Erbarmung widerfahren” (Philipp Friedrich Hiller, d. 1769), from Ev.-Luth. Gesangbuch #398. It appears in the author’s Geistliches Liederkästlein (Stuttgart, 1767) for the 9th of November, with the brief devotion: “I encountered mercy, 1 Timothy 1:13. An unconverted man is far too arrogant in his mind to say this from his heart, while a converted man talks of it before God and men.” Fischer, writing in the 1870s, says of it “very widepread in recent times.” Below I also include a previous partial but good translation by Miss Frieda Kaufman for the Mennonite Hymnary, perhaps richer in Christian themes than the original. In my translation, I have attempted to reflect the author’s text more closely. While some newer melodies have been attached to it, Hiller specifies the tune “Wer weiß wie nahe,” while the Wisconsin hymnal assigns “Wer nur den lieben Gott.”
WHAT precious mercy I was given,
A mercy I had never earned,
A gift from wondrous God in heaven,
That else my haughty heart had spurned!
Now this I know, and I rejoice,
And mercy praise with thankful voice.
2 I earned but wrath, for sin defiled me,
Yet I am favored now by God;
God in Himself hath reconciled me,
And cleanses me in Jesus’ blood.
Whence came this? Why was all this done?
’Tis mercy, mercy all alone!
3 To Thee, my God I must admit it,
I boast of it when men inquire,
No word but “mercy” serves to fit it—
And thus I’ve told my heart entire.
I simply stagger and rejoice
And mercy praise with thankful voice.
4 From mercy suffer naught to thrust me!
Of this alone I’ll boast each day;
Upon this mercy I will trust Thee,
Upon this mercy I will pray,
Upon this mercy suffer woe,
And hope on this when hence I go.
5 O God, Thy mercy rich supplying,
Thy mercy never take from me;
In mercy bring me through my dying,
By Christ my Savior’s death, to Thee;
And truly then I will rejoice
And mercy praise with ceaseless voice!
Translation © 2022 Matthew Carver.
Frieda Kaufman (Mennonite Hymnary 1940)
1 What mercy and divine compassion,
Has God in Christ revealed to me!
My haughty spirit would not ask it,
Yet He bestowed it, full and free,
In God my heart doth now rejoice:
I praise His grace with grateful voice.
2 Eternal wrath should be my portion:
The Lamb of God for sinners slain;
Removed the curse and condemnation,
His blood atoned for every stain.
God’s love in Christ on Calvary’s tree
From guilt and shame has set me free.
3 Great God, accept my adoration,
Help me Thy mercy to confess;
In Jesus Christ is my salvation
He is my hope in life and death:
His blood, His righteousness alone
I claim before Thy judgment throne.
5 Thy bounteous grace is my assurance,
The blood of Christ my only plea,
Thy heart of love my consolation
Until Thy glorious face I see:
My theme through never ending days,
Shall be Thy great redeeming grace.
GERMAN
1 Mir ist Erbarmung wiederfahren,
Erbarmung, deren ich nicht werth;
das zählt ich zu dem Wunderbaren,
meine stolzes Herz hat's nie begehrt.
Nun weiß ich das und bin erfreut
und rühme die Barmherzigkeit!
2 Ich hatte Gottes Zorn verdienet, [Ich hatte nichts als…]
und soll bei Gott in Gnaden sein;
er hat mich mit sich selbst versühnet [Gott…]
und macht durchs Blut des Sohns mich rein. [durch]
Warum? ich war ja Gottes Feind!– [Wo kam dies her? warum geschichts?]
Erbarmung hat's so treu gemeint! [Erbarmung ists und weiter nichts.]
3 Das muß ich dir, mein Gott, bekennen,
das rühm ich, wenn ein Mensch mich fragt;
ich kann es nur Erbarmung nennen,
so ist mein ganzes Herz gesagt.
Ich beuge mich und bin erfreut
und rühme die Barmherizigkeit.
4 Dies laß ich kein Geschöpf mir rauben,
dies soll mein einzig Rühmen sein; [einig]
auf dies Erbarmen will ich glauben,
auf dieses bet ich auch allein,
auf dieses duld ich in der Noth,
auf dieses hoff ich noch im Tod.
5 Gott, der du reich bist an Erbarmen,
nimm dein Erbarmen nicht von mir [reiß…]
und führe durch den Tod mich Armen
durch meines Heilands Tod zu dir;
da bin ich ewig hoch erfreut
und rühme die Barmherzigkeit.
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