Kyrie, o Herr Gott Vater

Here is my translation of “Kyrie, o Herr Gott Vater,” the Summum Kyrie from the Pomeranian Church Order (Johannes Bugenhagen, d. 1558), reproduced in ELGB #193. This corresponds to Luther’s “Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit,” both being based on the Latin Kyrie Fons bonitatis, or at least modeled on its melody, which farsed Kyrie was used on the first day of high feasts and widespread in Lutheran churches from early on. I give the melody from Flügel’s Melodienbuch for the Bollhafen Gsb. (Note that the slur on eingeborner should be broken in the English version.)

 

KYRIE, Lord God the Father,
Be gracious unto us,
Show us kindness,
Blot out our iniquity
And have mercy upon us.

2 Christë, Lord God, the Father’s only-begot-ten Son,
True and faithful Savior,
Who hast redeemed us all with Thy most precious blood
Gain us favor with the heavenly Father,
And have mercy upon us.

3 Kyrie, Lord God the Holy Ghost,
Teach us Jesus Christ e’er to know aright.
And to mourn our sinful plight;
Santify, console, and guide us with Thy light,
And have mercy upon us.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

GREEK/GERMAN

Kyrie! o Herr Gott Vate, erbarm dich über uns,
sei uns gnädig,
tilge alle unser Missethat
und erbarm dich unser.

2 Christe! o Herr Gott, Vaters eingeborner Sohn,
unser treuer Heiland,
der du mit deinem Blut uns alle hast erlöst,
bitt uns Gnade bei Gott dem Vater,
und erbarm dich unser.

3 Kyrie! o Herr Gott Heiliger Geist,
lehr uns Jesum Christum kennen recht;
unser Sünde sei uns leid,
tröst uns, leit uns, heilige uns in der Wahrheit
und erbarm dich unser.