Herr Jesu Christ, mein Licht und Leben

Here is my translation of the sanctification hymn “Herr Jesu Christ, mein Licht und Leben” (Johann Friedrich Sannom, asc. d. ?), from Ev.-Luth. Gesangbuch #411, originally appearing in Freylinghausen 1704, as does another hymn ascribed to Sannom, “Herr Jesu Christ mein Leben / und einge Zuversicht.” Fischer notes that the author is not mentioned in Wetzel and that the hymns are supposed to be taken from a collection published when the author was only eight, which he finds incredible on the basis of the contents, though they evince a certain youthfulness in their simple devotional quality. Fischer later says that Sannom must be a penname, perhaps for Dilthey. Otherwise the hymn is occasionally ascribed to Christian Friedrich Richter (1676–1711). Besides the “Addition” to Freylinghausen, it appears in Krauss, Geistliche Andachts-Harphe (1708) and Anmuthiger Blumen-Krantz (1712) without ascription. The original melody is “O Jesu, meiner Seelen Leben,” though the last two lines are not quite the same meter, and have actually been lengthened in the form present in the Wisc. hymnal. Thus the latter indicates “Dir, dir, Jehovah will ich singen.” The original melody, however, in the meter 9.10.9.10.8.8 has a repeat-phrase in the last line effectively making it 12 syllables rather than 8. The present hymn is clearly based on that melody’s original text, so I include that as well, indicating in the German the omitted text in the penultimate line by a strike-through, and the original text of the final line in square brackets.

First, the modernized text adapted to “Dir, Dir Jehova”:

 

CHRIST Jesus, Light and Life, I pray Thee,
Renew me, spirit, body, soul, and mind!
With all I am I honor pay Thee,
To Thee my inmost being now is joined;
Oh, keep my spirit heartily, I pray,
And lead Thou me upon the living way!

2 And while in life I yet shall tarry,
Still let Thy Holy Spirit kindly guide,
My ways within Thy will to carry,
That what Thou biddest, therein I abide.
Oh, keep my spirit constantly, I pray,
And lead Thou me upon the even way!

3. My Jesus, let me duly follow
And die with Thee, and with Thee ever live!
Let perish sinful passions hollow;
My God, to me a ready spirit give.
Oh, keep my spirit ever safe, I pray,
And lead Thou me upon the living way!

4 When I within, without, must suffer
Temptation, scorn, reviling, fear, and pain,
A joyful heart to me then proffer,
That I may e’er a cheerful hope maintain.
Oh, keep my spirit faithfully, I pray
And I’ll miss not, but go the righteous way!

5 O Jesus Christ, man’s only Savior,
O very God from all eternity;
Destroy my every sin forever
Which in this time is stirring still in me.
Oh, keep me heartily, I pray,
And lead Thou me upon the living way!

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

Second, the original text with the originally intended melody (note the Freylinghausen variants):

CHRIST Jesus, Light and Life, I pray Thee,
Renew me, spirit, body, soul, and mind,
With all I am I honor pay Thee,
To Thee my inmost being now is joined;
Oh, keep me heartily, I pray,
And show Thou me (and lead Thou me) the living way!

2 And while in life I yet shall tarry,
Still let Thy Holy Spirit kindly guide,
My ways within Thy will to carry,
That what Thou biddest, therein I abide;
Oh, keep me constantly, I pray,
And lead Thou me (and lead Thou me) the even way!

3. My Jesus, let me duly follow
And die with Thee, and with Thee ever live;
Let perish sinful passions hollow;
My God, to me a ready spirit give.
Oh, keep my soul e’er safe, I pray,
And lead Thou me (yea, lead Thou me) the living way!

4 When I within, without, must suffer
Temptation, scorn, reviling, fear, and pain,
A joyful heart to me then proffer,
That I may e’er a cheerful hope maintain.
Oh, keep me faithfully, I pray,
And I’ll miss not (and I’ll miss not) the righteous way!

5 O Jesus Christ, man’s only Savior,
O very God from all eternity;
Destroy my every sin forever
Which in this time is stirring still in me.
Oh, keep me heartily, I pray,
And lead Thou me (yea, lead Thou me) the living way!

Translation © 2022 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Herr Jesu Christ, mein Licht und Leben,
erneure meinen Geist sammt Leib und Seel.
Dir, dir hab ich mich ganz ergeben,
mit meiner Seel dich inniglich vermählt.
Ah! nimm dich meiner Seele herzlich an
und zeige mir, führ mich die Lebensbahn. [und zeige mir, und führe…]

2 Und will ich auch allhier noch lebe, [Und weil ich noch…]
so gieb mir deinen heilgen guten Geist,
daß ich in deinem Willen schwebe und thue nur,
was du, mein Gott, mich heiß'st.
Ach! nimm dich meiner Seele allzeit an
und führe mich, führ mich auf ebner Bahn. [und füḧre mich, ach! führe…]

3 Mein Jesu, laß mich mit dir sterben
und mit dir leben in dir Ewigkeit,
was sündlich ist, laß ganz verderben;
ach, mache mich, mein Gott, sein bald bereit.
O nimm dich meiner Seele gnädig an
und führe mich, führ mich die Lebensbahn. [und führe mich, ja führe…]

4 Wenn ich von außn und innen leide
Anfechtung, Schmach, Verfolgung, Angst und Pein,
so gieb, daß ich stets bleib in Freude
und allzeit könne gutes Muthes sein.
Ach! nimm dich meiner Seele treulich an,
so fehl ich nicht, ich geh die rechte Bahn. [so fehl ich nicht, so fehl ich nicht der rechten…]

5 O Jesu Christe, Heil der Menschen,
o wahrer Gott von aller Ewigkeit!
die Sünde wollst du ganz versenken,
die sich in mir noch regt zu dieser Zeit.
Ach! nimm dich meiner Seele herzlich an
und führe mich, führ mich die Lebensbahn. [und führe mich, ja führe mich…]