Der Heiligen Leben

Here is my translation of the Easter hymn, “Der Heiligen Leben” (Thomas Müntzer, d. 1525), in ELGB #132, first in the author’s Deutsch Evangelisch Messze (Alstedt, 1524). It is a reworking of the Latin Easter hymn “Vita sanctorum, decus angelorum,” of which at least two translations exist. Another reworking in Latin was translated by myself several years ago. Fischer says that Johann Spangenberg is often specified as author (as it is in the Buffalo Synod hymnal), since the hymn is included in his Kirchengesenge (1545). While the original Latin has little rhyme, or perhaps a hint of final-vowel rhyme here and there, Müntzer attempts to rhyme couplets, adjacent or alternate, with slightly more frequency, nevertheless without regularity from stanza to stanza. Since my translation of the Latin was unrhyming, I have chosen here to normalize Müntzer’s rhyme scheme as AA BB CC DDD, though he has generally used only 2-3 rhyming pairs and left at least one line unrhymed. The form of the hymn is not found in the first sources suggested by Fischer, which are Mass books, but rather in Muntzer’s Kirchen-Amt, or Office book, for Vespers in Eastertide. The ancient form of the melody is found in my translation of the Latin here. Note: in the illustration of Muntzer’s melody, there is an extra note given for the second syllable of “außerwelten” which is not used in his other stanzas.

 

THE saints here living
E’er for God are striving,
His by His choosing,
Worldly ways refusing,
Follow their Savior.
For He died, God’s favor
To gain them ever.

2 O Christ, from heaven
Let Thy grace be given,
And so renew us,
With Thy life imbue us,
This paschal season,
Shunning worldly reason,
And heav’nly treason.

3 Death’s mighty Breaker,
Christ, God’s Son, the Maker,
In glory risen,
From death’s dreary prison,
Freedman hath wrought us,
With His blood hath bought us,
His kingdom brought us.

4 To heaven raisèd,
King of all, high-praisèd;
He, our true Brother,
Throned beside His Father,
Shall, on returning,
Give to each his earning,
Each heart discerning.

5 Mortal, go yonder
In thy mind and ponder,
That Judgment ever,
Fixing on thy Savior
In faith unfeigning,
Thus forever gaining
Joy without waning.

6 Father, this grant us
By the Savior sent us,
That we endeavor
To obey Thee ever
In all our living,
From the Spirit’s giving
Power receiving.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Der Heilgen Leben
thut stets nach Gott streben
und all' Auserwählten
hie auf dieser Erden
sollen Christ gleich werden.
Drum ist Er gestorben,
solch's zu erwerben.

2 O Christ vom Himmel!
erneu uns von innen
in diesen heil'ge
österlichen Tagen
uns zu entschlagen
der Werlet Freuden
ernstlich zu meiden.

3 Des Todes Kämpfer,
Christ, Gottes Sohn, Schöpfer,
mit Preis erstanden,
von des todes Banden
uns erlöset hat
mit theuerbarem Lohne,
also gewonnen.

4 Nun ist erhoben
sein Gewalt mit Loben,
sitzet zu seines
ew'gen Vaters Rechten,
endlich zu richten
aller Menschen Bosheit
mit ernstem Urtheil.

5 O Mensch bedenk' das
fleißig ohn' Unterlaß,
dein Gemüth stetig
zu Ihm richt' festiglich
mit ganzem Glauben,
daß du seiner Freuden
nicht werd'st beraubet.

6 Das gieb uns Vater
durch Christ deinen Zarten,
daß wir Deines Willens
mögen so erwarten,
in unserm Leben
Deines Geistes Wirkung
empfindlich werden.