Here is my supplemental translation of the Burial hymn, “Nun bringen wir den Leib zur Ruh” (Ehrenfried Liebich, d. 1780), Ev.-luth. Gsb #674, originally appearing in the author’s Geistliche Lieder zur Erbauung (Liegnitz, 1774), beginning “So bringen . . .” with 12 stanzas. The later 10-stanza form, in which stanza 7 is omitted and stanzas 9 and 10 are spliced together, is more generally disseminated, but the Wisconsin hymnal has 9 stanzas with a further omission of original stanza 5 (“So währen Reichthum…”). In English, six stanzas are translated by Harbaugh in The Guardian, 1863, and 4 (including orig. st. 5) by Zuchtmann from 1867, published in The Choral Book (1889), though with lesser skill and exactness; I include his st. 5 slightly altered. I also add to Harbaugh’s generally faithful translation the remaining stanzas, altering his 2nd stanza to ensure inclusion of the doctrine of the final reunion of soul and body. The appointed melody is “Nun laßt uns den Leib begraben.”
THIS body, weary and distressed,
Finds here at last its kindly rest,
By God’s decree, most wise and just,
It moulders to its mother dust.
2 It shall not ever dust remain,
Not ever shall corruption reign;
It shall, when Christ appears again,
Rejoin its soul, all free from stain.
3 Here learn, O man, thy mortal state
Here learn how vain are small and great;
When cares and fears and pains are past,
Death ends the weary scene at last.
4 Our lives, how speedily they fly!
Death and eternity draw nigh;
Then shall the Lord rewards bestow,
According to our deeds below.
5 Thus riches, fame, and glory great—
Like these our bodies soon abate;
But so distress and pain and woe
Like our own life must end and go.
6 O self-sure man, consider here,
Death, grave, and Judge will soon appear;
In all thou thinkest and thou dost
Remember well, that die thou must.
7 O blest is he who watch doth keep
Whom morning shall not find asleep,
Whose heart the blood of Jesus dyes:
At death will heav’n before him rise!
8 Here as we stand beside these graves,
Let each one call on Him who saves:
O God, in Jesus' name we pray,
Prepare us for our dying day!
9 Let us our sins bemourn and rue,
And fear our God like children true.
Let us our heart to Christ commend;
Let us be faithful to the end.
10 Let us not to our own self live
Let each himself to battle give;
We hardly here our life keep whole;
Let all keep watch upon their soul.
11 When we have run our mortal race,
Be near us, Savior, by Thy grace;
Let death our gain forever be,
And sweetly draw our souls to Thee.
12 And when, O Prince of Life, some day
Thou shalt lay bare the buried clay,
Then let us upward joyful soar
And see Thy face forevermore.
Translation sts 1–4, 8, 11 Harbaugh, 1863, alt.
Translation st. 5 Friedrich Zuchtmann, 1867, alt.
Translation sts. 6–7, 9b–10a © 2023 Matthew Carver.
ZUCHTMANN 1889:
1 This body now we lay to rest,
And cover solemnly with dust,
For clay to clay and dust to dust
Is law for all, obey we must.
3 O man, here learn what life is worth.
Since hither camest by thy birth;
To care, and joy, and woe, and weal
Grim death succeeds, without appeal.
5 Thus riches, fame, and power great,
Like these, our bodies soon abate,
But so distress and pain and woe
Like our own life must end and go.
12 And when at last life’s glorious Prince
The graves to open wide begins,
Then we shall rise to higher life,
Devoid of woe or pain or strife.
HARBAUGH 1863:
1 This body, weary and distressed,
Finds here at last its kindly rest,
By God’s decree, most wise and just,
It moulders to its mother dust.
2 It shall not ever dust remain,
Not ever shall corruption reign;
When Christ in glory shall appear,
He’ll raise the body slumb’ring here.
3 Here learn, O man, thy mortal state
Here learn how vain are small and great;
When scores, and fears, and pains are past,
Death ends the weary scene at last.
4 Our lives, how speedily they fly,
Death and eternity draw nigh;
Then shall the Lord rewards bestow,
According to our deeds below.
8 Here as we stand beside these graves,
Let each one call on Him who saves:
O God, in Jesus' name we pray,
Prepare us for our dying day!
11 When we have run our mortal race,
Be near us, Saviour, by Thy grace;
Let death our gain for ever be,
And sweetly draw our souls to Thee.
GERMAN
1 Nun bringen wir den Leib zur Ruh
und decken ihn mit Erde zu,
den Leib, der nach des Schöpfers Schluß
zu Staub und Erde werden muß.
2 Er bleibt nicht immer Asch und Staub,
nicht immer der Verwesung Raub; [Er bleibt nicht…]
er wird, wenn Christus einst erscheint,
mit seiner Seele new vereint.
3 Hier Mensch, hier lerne, was du bist. [Lern, sterblicher! hier…]
schau hier, was unser Leben ist: [Wie elend…]
nach Sorge Furcht und mancher Noth […vieler Noth]
kommt endlich noch zuletzt der Tod.
4 Schnell schwindet unsre Lebenszeit, [So… .]
auf Sterben folgt die Ewigkeit. [Aufs…]
Wie wir die Zeit hier angewandt,
so folgt der Lohn aus Gottes Hand.
[5 So währen Reichthum, Ehr und Glück,
wie wir selbst, einen Augenblick;
so währt auch Kereutz und Traurigkeit,
wie unser Leben, kurze Zeit.]
6 O sichrer Mensch, besinne dich! [Mensch! Tod und Richter nahen sich]
Tod, Grab und Richter nahen sich. [Es schallet hier die Stimm an dich]
In Allem, was du denkst und thust,
bedenke, daß du sterben mußt.
[7 Wohl dem, der alle Stunden wacht,
und sich zum Aufbruch fertig macht!
Der, mit des Heilands Blut geschmückt,
den Himmel bei dem Tod erblickt!]
8 Hier wo wir bei den Gräbern stehn, [Laßt uns, da wir bei…]
soll jeder zu dem Vater flehn: [mit diesem Flehn zum Vater gehn:]
Ich bitt, o Gott, durch christi Blut, [mein Gott! ich bitt…]
machs einst mit meinem Ende gut.
9 Laßt alle Sünden uns bereun,
vor unserm Gott uns kindlich scheun. [laßt vor des Vaters Aug uns…]
Wir sind hier immer in Gefahr, [Laßt unser HErz uns Christo weihn,]
nehm jeder seine Seele wahr. [Laßt uns treu bis ans Ende sein!]
[10 Es lebe keiner von uns sich;
ein jeder kämpfe ritterlich;
ein jeder, wir sind in Gefahr,
nehm seiner Seele sorgsam wahr!]
11 Wenn unser Lauf vollendet ist,
so sei uns nah, Herr Jesu Christ.
Mach uns das Sterben zum Gewinn,
zeuch unsre Seelen zu dir hin.
12 Und wenn du einst, du Lebensfürst,
die Gräber mächtig öffnen wirst,
dann laß uns fröhlich auferstehn
und dort dein Antlitz ewig sehn.
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