Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost

Here is my translation of the Jesus/Redeemer (also Christmas?) hymn “Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost” (Bartholomäus Helder, d. 1635), ELGB #29, earlier found in Cantionale Sacrum (Gotha, 1646), though necessarily existing before 1635 when Helder died. Fischer notes that it is not widespread. The original melody is appointed in the Buffalo Synod hymnal. Bach (or perhaps Krebs) is known to have written a chorale prelude (BWV 702) on the melody. In researching the melody I also discovered Terry’s translation, which does not rhyme lines 6 and 8 of each stanza, which I include below.

MY Jesus shall my comfort be,
My Savior, now and ever,
Who loveth and redeemeth me;
No might our bond shall sever:
With all my will I hold Him still,
In faith on Him relying,
Whate’er I feel, both woe and weal,
In living and in dying.

2 With my dear Jesus I will stand;
My heart in Him remaineth.
Let grief and pain on every hand
Arise as God ordaineth.
Though devil, death, and sin in wrath
To do their worst endeavor,
With Jesus here, my Savior dear,
I am delivered ever.

3 With my dear Jesus next to me,
I’ll stand in judgment surely,
Defying every enemy;
My soul shall dwell securely
And enter in to life with Him
And see with greatest pleasure
The Savior fair, whom here I share
Now by faith’s precious treasure.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

C. S. TERRY

1 In Jesus is my only joy,
My soul He doth deliver;
He loveth me without alloy,
From Him naught me shall sever.
With deepest love I gaze above
And yield myself unto Him.
In joy or woe His path I go,
In living or in dying.

2 With Thee, sweet Jesus, at my side
Nought can on earth distress me;
E’en though I wade through troubles’ tide,
Thy love will hold and bless me.
The Devil’s wiles, earth’s flatt’ring smiles,
Shall not prevail against me;
In Jesus I my bourne descry:
On Him I soon shall rest me.

3 The day will dawn, O Jesus mine,
When my dread God will face me,
When freed I’ll be from foes malign,
And Thou wilt stoop to embrace me.
Then I shall be ever with Thee,
And with Thee throned in glory,
O Savior dear, who far and near
Art hymned in deathless story.

GERMAN

Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost,
mein Heiland sein und bleiben,
der mich geliebet und erlöst,
kein G'walt soll mich abtreiben:
Ihm thu ich mich ganz williglich
von Herzens Grund ergeben,
es mag mir sein weh oder fein,
mag sterben oder leben.

2 Mit meinem lieben Jesulein
will ich gar wohl bestehen,
wenn ich mitten durch Noth und Pein
nach Gottes Willn soll gehen.
Was will mir dann wohl haben an
Welt, Teufel, Tod und Sünde?
Beim Jesulein dem Heiland mein,
ich allzeit Rettung finde.

3 Auf dies mein liebes Jesulein,
will ich für Gott selbst treten,
für allen Feinden sicher sein,
mein' Seele wohl zu retten,
zum leben sein zu gehen ein,
und lieblich anzuschauen
den Heiland schön, den ich geseh'n
allhier allein im Glauben.