Es war die Frag der Abgesandten

Here is my translation of the Advent IV hymn, “Es war die Frag der Abgesandten” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #12, no earlier publication known. As in its reworked English translation occurring shortly after in the Church Hymn Book (1816, 1838, 1850) “The Priests and Levites Sent to John,” Paul’s hymn based on the historic Gospel reading is marked by a “double dagger” (‡) in the German as well. It is a narrative re-telling with two final stanzas of application. For comparison, I include Paul Henkel’s later English hymn for the same Sunday, written in Common Meter. While the substance is largely the same, the final stanza of the German, with its theme of man’s sinful estate,  forming what must be called an awkward conclusion, was evidently reconsidered and ignored. The melody appointed for the German text is “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.”

 

THEY that were sent to John inquirèd,
Who art thou, John? Say openly.
(For many thought the long-desirèd
Messiah, Jesus Christ, was he.)
But John must freely say thereto,
I am not He, that Savior true.

2 Who art thou with thy words portentous?
Thy office and thy calling tell!
We must bring word to them that sent us,
All doubts about thyself dispel.
Art thou the Christ? Thy person show.
Art thou Elias? Let us know!

3 Art thou a prophet resurrected,
An ancient seer to life returned?
But John said, Nay, and so rejected
Those that in him the Christ discerned:
I’ll not deny, but will confess
And tell what title I possess.

4 I am the voice in desert calling,
Told by the prophet, do no doubt!—
That all men in my word enthralling
Might hear how wisdom cries without,
And ready make their hearts and homes
Before the Lord of Glory comes.

5 Oh, to be John in sacred story!
Unwav’ring, faithful, right, and good,
And seek from men no fleeting glory,
No fame, as by the world pursued:
Oh, thus to be a Christian true
And seek what Christ alone is due!

6 What name, O God, would I be claiming,
Were I to see me as I am?
I would confess to my own shaming
That all my heart and mind and frame
To evil only are inclined,
E’en as in Holy Writ I find.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK 1816ff.

The priests and Levites sent to John,
They asked of him to know:
Art thou the great Messiah come,
Thy pow’r on earth to show?

2 Art thou Elias? tell us plain,
What office dost thou bear?
We must report to those again,
Those who have sent us here.

3 The Jews supposèd John to be
Their Savior and their Lord;
But John replied, I am not He,
I only bear record.

4 As the great prophet hath declared,
I am the voice that cry,
My voice is in the deserts heard:
Your Prince of life is nigh.

5 Prepare, your gracious Lord to meet;
Submit unto His ways;
And truly humbled at His feet,
Obtain his pard’ning grace.

6 O! could we be like unto John,
Submissive, humble, meek,
To honor none but Christ alone,
And nont but Him to seek.

GERMAN

Es war die Frag der Abgesandten:
Johanne, zeige wer du bist,
weil viele ihn dafür erkannten,
er sei der Heiland Jesu Christ;
Johannes aber dazu spricht,
ich bin der Heiland selber nicht.

2 Wer bist du dann? laß uns doch wissen,
mach uns dein Amt und Ruf bekannt,
dieweil wir Antwort geben müssen,
zu denen die uns abgesandt.
Bist du der theure Gottesman?
bist du Elias? zeigs uns an.

3 Bist du dann der Propheten einer,
der von dem Tod erstanden ist?
Er sagt, ich bin derselben keiner,
ich bin auch selbst der Heiland nicht.
Ich leugne nicht, ich sag es frei,
ich sag euch selber wer ich sei.

4 Ich bin die Stimme in der Wüsten,
wie der Prophet von mir gesagt.
O daß es all hören müßten,
wie doch die Weisheit draußen klagt;
[] daß man nicht den Weg bereit,
[] für den Herrn der Herrlichkeit.

5 Ach! daß ich, wie Johannes wäre,
aufrichtig, redlich, treu und fromm,
da ich nicht sucht von Menschen Ehre,
[] und auch nicht der Welt ihr Ruhm,
so wär ich auch ein wahrer Christ,
und suchte nur was Christi ist.

6 Mein Gott! was würde ich mich nennen,
sollt ich nur sehen was ich bin?
Ich würde es mit Furcht bekennen,
[] daß mein ganzes Herz und Sinn,
[] nur zum Bösen ist geneigt,
[] wie dein theures Wort mir zeigt.