Ach, guter Sämann guten Saamen

Here is my translation of the Church Militant/Cross & Comfort hymn, “Ach, guter Sämann guten Samen” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #32 for Epiphany V (Gospel: Matt. 13:24–30) with melody assignment “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.” An English adaptation appears in The Church Hymn Book (1816ff.) as “Ye Christian Men, Pray Notice Well,” in seven stanzas of Long Meter, which I include below.
 
 

OH, goodly Sower, Thou dost scatter
Good seed in manner rich and free,
And in Thy name both soil and water
Dost add, that they may fruitful be:
Thou surely dost the field prepare
To yield of wheat a goodly share.

2 Yet how is it we see so clearly
So many a tare the wheat entwine
In this Thy field Thou tendest dearly?
In truth it is no fault of Thine:
Thou showest with all clarity,
It was the wicked enemy.

3 While then the people slumbered sweetly,
All self-secure and free from care,
The foe Thy office stole discreetly,
And scattered thus his noxious tare,
By which the wheat is so oppressed
That it choked and sore distressed.

4 What wilt Thou do, Lord, to amend it?
Wilt Thou uproot the tares at once?
Nay, Thou wilt suffer and attend it,
And wait until the harvest comes.
Then wilt Thou gather in the wheat,
But burn the tares as just and meet.

5 Lord, give me Thy illumination,
That I Thy figure may explain:
Here as Thy spiritual plantation
Thy church on earth must e’er remain.
Thy Word on many hearts is sown,
In many soon is fully grown.

6 Yet Satan comes and scatters quickly
His tares among them and between;
The church on earth appeareth sickly,
And ne’er from sin completely clean.
The church doth hypocrites abide
Until the Lord shall both divide.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

Ye Christian men, pray notice well!
Our Savior in the parable
Does clearly prove and plainly show, [Doth…]
What Satan in the church can do.

2 The church is to a field compared,
Well cultivated and prepared:
And where the Gospel truth is b'lieved,
There is the Gospel seed received.

3 But when the watchmen fall to sleep,
And they neglect their guard to keep,
The enemy soon interferes,
And sows the field with seeds of tares.

4 Such ever was the church’s case,
The formal Christian, void of grace
Is like the tares among the wheat;
When rightly proved is but a cheat.

5 But lest the wheat be plucked up too,
The tares among the wheat must grow,
There to remain till harvest day,
Till they are searched and cast away.

6 This parable will show us plain
That saints and sinners will remain
As members of his church and state,
Till Jesus comes to separate.

7 How careful, then, ought we attend
To watch and pray unto the end,
Till all our trials shall be past,
Lest we should prove but tares at last!

GERMAN

Ach, guter Sämann guten Samen […guter Samen]
den hast du reichlich ausgestreut,
und giebest auch in deinem Namen,
die so gewünschte Fruchtbarkeit.
Der acker der wird wohl gedingt,
daß er den guten Weizen bringt.

2 Doch aber wie ist das geschehen,
daß wir so gar viel Unkraut hier,
auf diesem Felde wachsen sehen?
Ach, ja, die Schuld ist nicht an dir:
du zeigest selber deutlich an,
daß es der böse Feind gethan.

3 Als dort die Leute harte schliefen,
sanft eingewiegt von Sicherheit,
hat dir der Feind ins Amt gegriffen,
und so das Unkraut ausgestreut.
Davon der Weizen wird gedrückt,
daß er beinahe gar erstickt.

4 Was machest du dann, Herr, mit beiden?
Rottst du dann bald das Unkraut aus?
Ach nein, du wirst es also leiden,
und dulden bis zur Ernt hinaus,
dann sammlest du den Weizen ein,
das Unkraut muß verbrennet sein.

5 Herr, laß mich doch so weise werden,
daß ich auch dieses Gleichnis merk,
daß deine Kirche hier auf Erden
muß sein dein geistlich Ackerwerk.
Dein Wort wird vielen ausgesät,
in manchen Herzen es aufgeht.

6 Doch Satan streuet ganz geschwinde
des Unkrauts Samen zwischen drein,
die Kirche wird von aller Sünde
nicht völlig hier auf Erden rein.
Die Kirch hat Heuchler allezeit,
bis daß der Herr sie selbst abscheidt.