Gib uns heut unser täglich Brot

Here is my translation of the Laetare hymn, “Gib uns heut unser täglich Brot” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #40 for the Gospel of John 6:1–15, with melody assignment “Du unbegreiflich höchstes Gut” (very common in this hymnal). The English adaptation in the Church Hymn Book, “Grant us, Dear Lord, Our Daily Bread,” included below, numbers only 7 rather than 9 stanzas, and varies somewhat from the text, though naturally retaining the Long Meter. It preserves stanzas 1–2, 5, and ideas from the last three, somewhat rearranged, and adds a new idea in English stanza 4. My own version includes alternate renderings of the translated stanzas.
 
 

GIVE us this day our daily bread—
So let us pray to Christ our Head,
And call on Him in every need,
Who always can His people feed.

2 Though naught be found in our supply,
When thousands in their hunger cry,
Yet Jesus always knows the cure,
And brings us help with action sure.

3 Whoever doth His wonders see,
And trusts His Word most heartily
In Jesus findeth no deceit,
He findeth daily bread replete.

4 ’Tis He who doth the world sustain,
And “daily more” is His refrain;
He sees each day that sust’nance can
Be had on earth by every man.

5 There lifting up His eyes, He saw
With pity crowds around Him draw,
Which moved Him to compassion more,
Since they were faint and hungered sore.

6 He bade them camp upon the grass,
Oh, what a good command that was!
With bread and fish of small prospect
For thousands He the table decked.

7 They ate and satisfied were all
And glorified His miracle:
If He will give prosperity,
We’ll be content continually!

8 Thus many are to Christ inclined,
So long as days of ease they find.
But, when distress and woe betide,
No longer will with Him abide.

9 My dearest Jesus, help Thou me,
That I in faith may follow Thee,
And in all cross and grief may stay
Thy true and faithful foll’wer aye.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

1 (1) Grant us, dear Lord, our daily bread,
Thus do we pray in time of need;
To him our precious lord we cry,
Who daily doth our wants supply.

2 (2) Where nothing laid in store we see,
Where thousands faint and hungry be;
Yet may we trust and firmly b'lieve,
He find's a way for us to live.

3 (5) When Jesus in the wilderness
Beheld, his follow'rs in distress,
Fatigued and hungry, weak and faint,
He pitied them to see their want.

4 (new) And how to help them He well knew,
Although he asked, What shall we do?
Our faith must always first be tried,
Before our wants are all supplied.

5 (6a) He then commands them to prepare,
And trust his providence and care;
Without a table being set,
The feast for them was soon complete.

6 (7b?) When Jesus grants us His increase,
Then we partake the greater bliss;
(6b) Two little fish, five loaves of bread,
Some thousands of his follow'rs fed.

7 (8–9v) If here we follow Christ indeed,
He will support us as we need;
And when this present life is past
We feast with him in heav’n at last.

GERMAN

Gieb uns heut unser täglich Brod,
so beten wir in aller Noth,
wir rufen unsern Heiland an,
der allezeit uns speisen kann.

2 Und ob man nichts zum Vorrath findt,
da doch viel tausend hungrig sind,
so weiß doch Jesus immer Rath,
und hilft uns allen in der That.

3 Wer nur auf seine Wunder schaut,
und seinem Wort von Herzen traut,
der findt in Jesu kein Betrug,
er findt das täglich Brod genug.

4 Er ists ja der die Welt ernährt,
und doch noch täglich mehr bescher,
er sorget so daß jedermann
die täglich Nahrung haben kann.

5 Dort sah er mit Erbarmen an,
als er die Augen aufgethan;
es jammert ihn das Volk zu sehn,
verschmacht und hungirg um ihn stehn.

6 Er hieß sie lagern auf das Gras,
o welch ein gut Gebot war das!
mit wenig Brod und wenig Fisch,
und deckt für tausenden den Tisch.

7 Sie aßen all und wurden satt
und preisten seine Wunderthat;
giebt er es, so daß uns gedeiht,
so ists genug zu jederzeit.

8 Es folget Jesu manscher nach,
so lang er findet gute Tag;
bricht aber Noth und Trübsal ein,
so will er nicht mehr bei ihm sein.

9 Dazu mein Jesu hilf du mir,
daß ich im Glauben folge dir,
daß ich in allem Kreuz und Leid
dir treu verbleib in Ewigkeit.
‡