Herr Gott Vater im Himmelreich

 Here is my translation of the Table hymn, “Herr Gott Vater im Himmelreich” (Caspar Huberinus, d. 1553), Ev.-luth. Gsb #594. Fischer notes the title under Huberinus in the author’s index, but has not entry for the hymn itself. I find it in Zacharias Praetorius’ Sylua pastorum I (Wittenberg, 1575), p. 78, with the title “Little Prayer,” formatted as prose without indication of tone, nor in strict meter. Earlier it is in Matouš Collinus’ German-Latin-Czech Libellus Elementarius (1569) with the title “Prayer before the Table from Psalm 144,” where it is preceded by the literal Psalm verse, the Kyrie in German, the traditional table prayer “Lord God, heavenly Father…” and then this hymn, or rather, rhymed prayer. The appointed melody is “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir.”

 

LORD God, our Father heavenly,
We, Thy dear children, call on Thee,
And pray Thee now with all our heart,
Our food to us this hour impart.

2 Ope now Thy rich, unstinting hand,
Let us in sin and shame not stand,
But give us peace and unity,
Nor let us times of famine see:

3 That we in life may blessed be,
And dwell with Thee eternally;
In Jesus’ precious name we pray;
Amen let every heart now say.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Herr Gott Vater im Himmelreich,
wir, deine Kinder allzugleich,
bitten dich jetzt aus Herzensgrund: [Wir bitten…]
speis uns alle zu dieser Stund. [Speis uns all zu…]

2 Thu auf dein reiche milde Hand:
behüt uns all vor Sünd und Schand, [Behüt uns auch…]
und gieb uns Fried und Einigkeit; [Gib uns…]
bewahr uns auch vor theurer Zeit:

3 Damit wir leben seliglich, [Auf daß…]
dein Reich besitzen ewiglich
in unsers Herren Christi Nam'n. […Namen]
Wer das begehrt, der spreche: Am'n. […Amen]