Auf, hinauf, zu deiner Freude

Here is my revision (or metrical correction) of Winkworth’s translation of the faith-life hymn, “Auf, hinauf, zu deiner Freude” (Johann Caspar Schade, d. 1698), the German text in ELGB #399, first appearing in the author’s posthumous Fasciculus Cantionum (ca. 1699), later in Freylinghausen 1704 with misattribution to J. H. Schröder. Winkworth’s translation, which only lacks a couple syllables in stanzas 1, 3, and 6, first appears in Lyra Germanica, 2nd series (1858). The inconsistency in the meter of lines 6-7 was then normalized incorrectly to the shorter, 7-syllable form in the Chorale Book for England. I have here undertaken to restore these lines to 8 syllables. The melody is proper.

  

UP, yes, upward to thy gladness
Rise, my heart, and soul, and mind!
Cast, oh cast away thy sadness,
Rise where thou thy Lord canst find.
He is thy home,
Yea, thy only life is Jesus.
If all worldly welcome ceases,
With Him is room.

2 On, still onward, mounting nigher
On the wings of faith to Him;
On, still onward, ever higher,
Till the mournful earth grows dim!
God is thy Rock;
Christ thy Champion cannot fail thee,
Howsoe’er thy foes assail thee,
Fear not their shock.

3 Firm, yes, firmly, ever cleaving
Unto Christ the strong and true,
All, yes, all to God still leaving,
For His love is daily new,
Be steadfast here;
With thy foes in warfare meeting,
Thou shalt see them soon retreating;
Be of good cheer.

4 Hide thee, in His chamber hide thee,
Christ hath opened now the door;
Tell Him all that doth betide thee,
All thy sorrows there outpour;
He hears thy cry;
Men may hate thee and deceive thee
But He cannot, will not leave thee,
He still is nigh.

5 High, oh high, o’er all things earthy,
Raise thy thoughts, my soul, to heaven;
One alone of thee is worthy,
All thou hast to Him be given,
Thy Lord He is
Who so truly pleads to have thee,
Who in love hath died to save thee;
Then thou art His.

6 Up then, upwards! seek thou only
For the things that are above;
Sin thou hatest, earth is lonely,
Rise to Him whom thou dost love
In heaven blest;
World and earth must vanish wholly,
Thou shalt find with Jesus solely
The perfect rest.

C. Winkworth, 1858, alt.
Alterations in sts. 1, 3, 6 © 2023 Matthew Carver.

WINKWORTH

Up, yes, upward to thy gladness
Rise, my heart, and soul, and mind!
Cast, oh cast away thy sadness,
Rise where thou thy Lord canst find.
He is thy home,
And thy life alone is He;
Hath the world no place for thee,
With Him is room.

2 On, still onward, mounting nigher
On the wings of faith to Him;
On, still onward, ever higher,
Till the mournful earth grows dim!
God is thy Rock;
Christ thy Champion cannot fail thee,
Howsoe’er thy foes assail thee,
Fear not their shock.

3 Firm, yes, firmly, ever cleaving
Unto Christ the strong and true,
All, yes, all to God still leaving,
For His love is daily new,
Be steadfast here;
Soon thy foes shall be o’erthrown,
Since He wills thy good alone,
Be of good cheer.

4 Hide thee, in His chamber hide thee,
Christ hath opened now the door;
Tell Him all that doth betide thee,
All thy sorrows there outpour;
He hears thy cry;
Men may hate thee and deceive thee
But He cannot, will not leave thee,
He still is nigh.

5 High, oh high, o'er all things earthy,
Raise thy thoughts, my soul, to heav’n;
One alone of thee is worthy,
All thou hast to Him be giv’n,
Thy Lord He is
Who so truly pleads to have thee,
Who in love hath died to save thee;
Then thou art His.

6 Up then, upwards! seek thou only
For the things that are above;
Sin thou hatest, earth is lonely,
Rise to Him whom thou dost love,--
There art thou blest;
All things here must change and die,
Only with our Lord on high
Is perfect rest.

GERMAN

Auf, hinauf zu deiner Freude,
meine Seele, Herz und Sinn,
weg, hinweg mit deinem Leide,
hin zu deinem Jesu hin!
Er ist dein Schatz!
Jesus ist dein ewig Leben;
will die Welt keinn Ort dir geben,
bei Ihm ist Platz.

2 Fort, nur fort, steig immer weiter
in die Höh zu Jesu auf!
an, hinan, die Glaubensleiter,
klettre mit geschwindem Lauf.
Gott ist dein Schutz.
Jesus bleibet dein Beschirmer
wider alle Seel-Bestürmer,
und bietet Trutz.

3 Fest, fein fest dich angehalten
an die starke Jesustreu,
laß du, laß du Gott nur walten,
seine Güt ist täglich neu:
Er meints recht gut.
Wenn die Feinde dich anfallen,
müssen sie zurücke prallen;
hab guten Muth.

4 Ein, hinein in Gotteskammer,
die dir Jesus aufgethan;
klag und sag Ihm deinen Jammer,
schreie Ihn um Hülfe an:
Er steht dir bei.
Wenn dich alle Menschen hassen,
kann und will Er dich nicht lassen,
das glaube frei.

5 Hoch, so hoch du kannst erheben
deine Sinnen von der Erd,
schwinge dich dem zu ergeben,
was du hast, der dein ist werth;
dein Jesus ist,
der um dich so treulich wirbet,
und für dich aus Liebe stirbet,
drum du sein bist.

6 Auf, hinafu, das droben suche,
trachte doch allein dahin,
wo dein Jesus, sonst verfluche
allen schnöden Sündensinn.
Zum Himmel zu!
Welt und Erde muß verschwinden,
nur bei Jesu ist zu finden
die wahre Ruh.