Here is my alteration of Bomberger’s translation of the Jesus hymn “Mein Salomo, dein freundliches Regieren” (Christian Friedrich Richter, d. 1711), Ev.-Luth. Gsb #528, first appearing in Darmstadt 1698, later in Freylinghausen 1714 and Halle 1718, where it is titled: “On the Words: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth, John 1:14,” tune: “Der schmale Weg ist breit genug.” The translation from the Moravian Hymn-Book 1754 omits stanzas 4–7, though it generally navigates more closely the original German than does John Henry Augustus Bomberger’s more poetic and complete, yet heterometrical, translation. I have opted simply to alter the first and third lines of Bomberger, and anything else which was markedly dissimilar to the German. The melody appointed in the Wisconsin hymnal is “So ist denn nun die Hütte,” which in this case actually seems to refer to the proper melody, “Mein Salomo, dein freundliches Regieren.”
MY Solomon, Thy rule of kindly merit,
Soothes all the pains that make my spirit sigh.
Whene'er my aching heart to Thee draws nigh,
I feel at once Thy peace-bestowing Spirit;
Thy smiles of love melt down my carnal heart,
And bid distressing fears at once depart.
2 Indeed, my Friend bestoweth gifts so precious
As all the earth beside can ne'er secure.
Behold the world! Her wealth and pomp how poor!
For weary souls she has no quick’ning gracious;
My Savior has, and gives abundantly,
When earth's vain pleasures must forever flee.
3 Sweet Friend! how blest then was that mind’s sensation,
Which, trembling at the terrors of the law,
Made haste to Thee, when first Thy smiles it saw,
To taste in Thee Thy grace’s jubilation
Which every fear and painful doubt dispel,
And whisper to the spirit: All is well!
4 Indeed, my Friend, if rays of Thy affection
My poor sad heart thus softly penetrate,
They must a purer light within create,
By which the Father’s heart yields to detection,
Whence love and pardon evermore proceed,
And streams of grace, to flowing streams succeed.
5 The more my heart to God, my Father, turneth,
The more His strength and blessing I receive,
And after earth’s vain pleasures cease to grieve—
That else but weights and burdens for me earneth,
The more my heart drinks in His heav’nly grace,
The more I pant for perfect holiness.
6 The fount of grace into my soul that floweth
Becomes a well of living water there
That seeks the sea of life, boundless and fair,
From which the stream of life unceasing goeth
Oh! may this stream retain in me its pow’r,
And yield new life and strength each ebbing hour!
7 When in the soul His glory God revealeth,—
The love that flows from His approving face—
It there confirms in thee the life of grace,
And wisdom’s mysteries at once unsealeth;
Yea, in thine heart its own bright image forms,
And sin forever of its strength disarms.
8 That which the Law was impotent to give us,
Thy matchless grace at once for us procures.
Reluctant hearts to goodness it allures,
Doth more and more of sinful life relieve us
Our falt’ring feet conducts from strength to strength,
Our mind controls, and fits for heav’n at length.
9 Oh, may my heart on none but Christ be gazing!
Come visit me, my Dayspring from on high,
That I the light in Thy light may espy,
And simply trust upon Thy grace amazing:
No fault in me let be so vile and drear
As would not let Thy look of love appear.
10 Whene’er my sins before Thee make me cower,
And numb my filial confidence in Thee,
When, law-assailed, my timid faith would flee;
When hellish fears and anguish o’er me tower—
Oh! then reveal to me Thy Father-heart,
My strength renew, and confidence impart.
11 Now in Thy arms I rest, O my Salvation!
Thou, Thou shalt be my everlasting peace,
I clothe me in Thy grace, which shall not cease,
Thy mercy count most dear in all creation—
All I despise, since Christ, my Life, is mine,
It is enough! my spirit lives in Thine!
Bomberger, 1849, alt.; but st. 9a Mor. H.-B. 1754, alt.
Alterations © 2023 Matthew Carver.
BOMBERGER 1849
1 JESUS, my King! Thy mild and kind control
Soothes the sharp pains that make my spirit sigh.
Whene'er my aching heart to Thee draws nigh,
Thy cheering voice revives my fainting soul;
Thy smiles of love melt down my carnal heart,
And bid distressing fears at once depart.
2 This gracious Friend such precious gifts bestows,
As the whole earth beside can ne'er secure.
Behold the world! Her wealth and pomp how poor!
She can't the drooping cheer, nor ease their woes!
My Saviour can, and does abundantly,
When earth's vain pleasures must forever flee.
3 Thou dearest Friend! how happy was the heart,
Which, trembling at the terrors of the law,
Hastened to Thee, when first Thy smiles it saw,
To taste the sweetness pardoning joys impart:
Which every fear and painful doubt dispel,
And whisper to the spirit: All is well!
4 Surely, sweet Saviour! if Thy rays of love,
My poor sad heart thus softly penetrate,
They must a purer light within create,
And lead me to the Father's heart above;
Whence love and pardon evermore proceed,
And streams of grace, to flowing streams succeed.
5 The more my heart in God, my Father, rests,
The more His strength and blessing I receive,
And after earth’s vain pleasures cease to grieve—
That else my spirit dampened and opprest—
The more my heart drinks in His heav’nly grace,
The more I pant for perfect holiness.
6 The stream of grace that flows into my soul,
Becomes a well of living water there
That seeks the sea of life, boundless and fair,
Whence streams of life unceasingly forth-roll.
Oh! may this stream retain in me its power,
And yield new life and strength each ebbing hour!
7 If God His glory in the soul reveal,—
The love that flows from His approving face—
It will confirm in thee the life of grace,
And wisdom’s mysteries at once unseal;
Yea, in thine heart its own bright image form,
And sin forever of its strength disarm.
8 That which the Law is impotent to give,
Thy matchless grace at once for us procures.
Reluctant hearts to goodness it allures,
By holy doctrines teaches how to live;
Our falt’ring feet conducts from strength to strength,
Our mind controls, and fits for heav’n at length.
9 On Christ above my anxious heart would gaze!
Oh! visit me, bright Dayspring from above!
The light of truth in Thy pure light of love,
May I behold undimmed through all my days!
No clouds of sin can be so thick and drear,
As those which let not Thy sweet face appear!
10 Whene’er o’erwhelmed, my hope is hid in dust,
And quenched my filial confidence in Thee,
When, law-assailed, my timid faith would flee;
When hellish fears prevail, and dark distrust;
Oh! then reveal to me Thy Father-heart,
My strength renew, and confidence impart.
11 Now in Thy arms, my Saviour, can I rest;
Thou, Thou shalt be my everlasting peace,
To praise Thy love, my song shall never cease-
Clothed with Thy grace, I shall be ever blest.
All I despise, since Christ, my Life, is mine,
It is enough! my spirit lives in Thine!
MORAVIAN HYMN-BOOK 1754:
My Solomon! Thy kind and gracious scepter
Assuages all the grief that burdens me:
When my poor heart but turns itself to Thee
Then is Thy peaceful Spirit my Preceptor;
Thy loving look so warms and melts my heart,
That fear and restlessness must soon depart.
2 The gifts of my Belov’d they are so noble,
That all the world cannot the like afford:
What are the treasures, which the world does hoard?
To comfort weary souls they are not able;
But Jesus is, and does’t abundantly;
The whole world’s joy will fail, but never He.
3 My sweetest Friend! when round my poor heart gather
Thy flames of love, and gently pierce it through,
Then shines in me a light quite pure and new,
By which I reach the heart of the kind Father,
Which with forgiving tenderness is filled;
One wave of grace is by the other swelled.
4–7 absent
8 That which the Law could have bestowèd never,
All this is then produced alone by grace:
This does to holiness a liking raise,
This changes and reforms the whole behavior;
Thou’rt led from strength to strength and patiently
And with long-suff’ring, grace does govern thee.
9 O may my heart none else but Christ be eying!
Come visit me, my Dayspring from on high,
So that the light in Thy light I can spy,
On grace’s bottom steadfastly relying:
O may no fault be e’er so great in me
As t’ intercept the love that darts from Thee.
10 When I’m cast down before Thee by my failing,
Whene’er Thy Spirit in me feels a damp,
Or when the Law strives to put out my lamp
Of faith, and to make fear and grief prevailing;
Then let me view Thy tender mother-heart,
This will new strength and confidence impart.
11 And now I rest, my Love! in Thy embraces,
Thou art alone my everlasting peace;
I wrap and wind myself up in Thy grace;
Mine element is th’ ocean of Thy mercies:
And since Thou, Jesu, art my all in one,
I have that which my heart can feed upon.
GERMAN
Mein Salomo, dein freundliches Regieren
stillt alles Weh, das meinen Geist beschwert.
Wenn sich zu dir mien blödes Herze kehrt,
so läßt sich bald dein Friedensgeist verspüren;
Dein Gnadenblick zerschmelzet meinen Sinn,
und nimmt die Furcht und Unruh von mir hin.
2 Gewiß, mein Freund giebt solche, edle Gaben,
die alle Welt mir nicht verschaffen kann.
Schau an die Welt, schau ihren Reichthum an,
er kann ja nicht die müden Seelen laben;
mein Jesus kann's, er thut's im Ueberfluß,
wenn alle Welt zurücke stehen muß.
3 O süßer Freund, wie wohl ist dem Gemüthe,
das im Gesetz sich so ermüdet hat,
und nun zu dir, dem Seelenleben, nacht,
und schmeckt in dir die wundersüße Güte,
die alle Angst, die alle Noth verschlingt,
und unsern Geist zu fanster Ruhe bringt.
4 Gewiß, mein Freund, wenn deine Liebeszeichen
mein armes Herz so sanftiglich durchgehn,
so kann in mir ein reines Licht entstehn,
durch das ich kan das Vaterherz erreichen,
in dem man nichts, als nur Vergebung spürt,
da eine Gnadenflut die andre rührt.
5 Je mehr das Herz sich zu dem Vater kehret,
je mehr es Kraft und Seligkeit genießt,
daß es dabei der Eitelkeit vergißt,
die sonst den Geist gedämpfet und beschweret:
je mehr das Herz den süßen Vater schmeckt,
je mehr wir es zur Heiligkeit erweckt.
6 Der Gnadenquell, der in der Seele fließet,
der wird in ihr ein Brunn des Lebens sein.
so in das Meer des Lebens springt hinein,
und Lebensströme wieder von sich gießet.
Behält in dir dis Wasser seinen Lauf,
So geht in dir die Frucht des Geistes auf.
7 Wenn sich in dir des Herren Klarheit spiegelt,
die Freundlich keit aus seinem Angesicht,
so wird dadurch das Leben angericht't,
die Heimlichkeit der Weisheit aufgesiegelt,
ha selbst dein Herz in solches Bild verklärt,
und alle Kraft der Sünden abgekehrt.
8 Was dem Gesetz unmöglich war zu geben,
das bringt alsdenn die Gnade selbst herfür.
Sie wirket Lust zur Heiligkeit in dir,
und ändert nach und nach dein ganzes Leben,
indem sie dich aus Kraft in Kräfte führt,
und mit Geduld und Langmuth dich regiert.
9 Es müsse doch mein Herz nur Christum schauen;
besuche mich, mein Aufgang aus der Höh,
daß ich das Licht in deinem Lichte seh,
und könne schlechterdings der Gnaden trauen.
Kein Fehler sei so groß und schwer in mir,
der mich von solchem Blick der Liebe führ.
10 Wenn meine Sünd mich vor dir niederschläget,
und deinen Geist der Kindschaft in mir dämpft,
wenn das Gesetz mit meinem Glauben kämpft,
und lauter Angst und Furcht in mir errget,
so laß mich doch dein Mutterherze sehn,
und neue Kraft und Zuversicht entstehn.
11 So ruh ich nun, mein Heil, in deinen Armen,
du selbst sollst mir mein ewger Friede sein;
ich hülle mich in deine Gnade ein,
mein Element ist einig dein Erbarmen;
und weil du mir mein Ein und Alles bist,
so ists genug, wenn dich mein Geist genießt.
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