Jesus geht zu seinem Leiden

Here is my translation of the Quinquagesima hymn, “Jesus geht zu seinem Leiden” (Benjamin Schmolck, d. 1737), in NEGB #36 in 6 stanzas for Quinquagesima or Esto mihi (Gospel: Luke 18:31–43) and melody assignment: “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele,” first appearing in Schmolck’s in 8 stanzas. Stanzas 4–7 contain references to Shrovetide or Carnevale, especially the practice of wearing masks along with attendant carousing and immodesty. In our hymnal, these 4-6 roughly are represented by one revised stanza for more general application not confined to the season. The final stanzas also are greatly reworked in more generic form, retaining the ideas while effacing Schmolck’s peculiar imagery. My translation follows the original text, but I also include alternate stanzas 4–6 {4–6 combines, 7, and 8} following the reworking. The analogous English hymn, “A Certain Beggar, Poor and Blind” in The Church Hymn Book” in 6 stanzas of Long Meter, focuses on the blind beggar and our blindness without reference to the Savior’s going to His Passion, and might be called an English expansion of the reworked stanzas of our hymn. This makes the more sense when we note that the reworkings do not seem to appear in older German hymnals, and may therefore be considered the work of Paul Henkel himself.

  

JESUS goeth to His Passion:
Rise and let us with Him go!
Banish joys of idle fashion,
Which your way may render slow.
Join the foll’wers’ company,
Pledge yourselves devotedly
If with Him for heaven sighing,
With Him first to suffer dying.

2 Jesus calls, “Behold we’re going,
Going to Jerusalem!”
By this saying clearly showing
That the journey set for Him
At that city finds an end,
Where His judgment doth impend,
And He must be crucifièd,
As the prophets prophesièd.

3 Jesus, let Thy wounds be ever
In my eyes and in my heart;
What the poor disciples never
Understood, to these impart.
What was hidden from their eyes
In Thine image let me prize:
How the heathen shall mistreat Thee
Bind Thee, and with scourges beat Thee.

* 4 Oh, how many crucify Thee
Time and time again these days,
And in masks of sin deny Thee
At the devil’s Shrovetide plays.
Oh, unmask my sense for Thee,
That I may not godless be,
Thinking on Thy stripes receivèd,
Lest Thou be again aggrievèd!

* 5 Oh, what masks we all are wearing,
Who are wholly spirit-blind!
We must own us, never sparing,
Beggars all in heart and mind,—
Like that beggar by the way.
Oh, what folly, I must say,
That men hide themselves from others,
While their eyes such blindness smothers!

* 6 Take the scales off, I implore Thee
From the eyes of worldly sheep;
For their works bring Thee no glory,
Where men Thy remembrance keep.
Cast the devil in the lake,
Satan’s school as nothing make;
Curse the ones who curse Thee, Savior, [Turn…]
Come to those who seek Thy favor!

7 Would the world assail me proudly,
David’s Son, to Thee I’ll cry
Far more earnestly and loudly,
Thou my Mercy-seat on high!
Mercy, mercy to me show,
Let Thy wonder-working glow
Sparkle in my vision fainting,
Lift my heart with light enchanting.

8 Thus in faith I will behold Thee
Till to realms of sight I come;
And if death will soon enfold me,
He but robs my earthly home.
When that happens, then will I
Thee in yonder Salem spy,
Not where on the cross they raise Thee,
But without all crosses praise Thee.

{4 Ah, we men in spirit wholly
Dead and blind must us confess!
True poor sinners are we only
When we learn of our distress.
Then the Healer we implore
Who both will and can restore
And we find Him, who in kindness
Can relieve all those in blindness.

5 Would the world assail us proudly,
Threatening with mockery,
We will send petitions loudly,
David’s Son, for help to Thee
Let Thy Spirit’s radiance bright
Fill our heart with heav’nly light,
When will we the right way knowing
In Thy ways be rightly going.

6 Teach us to trust in Thy goodness,
From our heart Thyself to love,
Till we shall behold Thee yonder
In eternal joys above;
Grant us so to follow Thee,
That all men may driven be
To adore Thy grace and favor
And give thanks to Thee forever.}

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

A certain beggar, poor and blind,
A needy creature as we find,
Whose heart was filled with woe and grief,
Cried to the Savior for relief.

2 He cried, O blessed David's Son!
My mournful case to Thee is known;
O pity me, grant me my sight!
Restore to me that wanted light.

3 Though he was blind, yet he could hear,
And knew that his dear Lord was near:
He cried, and prayed, and would not cease
Till he had vented his distress.

4 When once our blindness we do feel,
Our grief no longer can conceal;
Then like the beggar we shall cry
To Jesus, ere He passes by.

5 Are we rebuked, we cry the more,
Till Jesus manifests his pow’r—
We shall not cease until we know:
That we are heard, and answered, too.

6 Then, like the beggar we shall be,
Once we were blind but now we see,—
Our darkness turned into day,—
And follow Jesus in his way.

GERMAN

Jesus geht zu seinem Leiden,
auf, und laßt uns mit ihm gehn!
Bannt von euch die eitlen Freuden,
die euch in dem Wege stehn.
Tretet zu der Jünger Schaar
und verlobt euch ganz und gar,
wo ihr wollt mit Christo erben,
auch zuvor mit ihm zu sterben.
 
2 Jesus rufet: Seht, wir gehen
nach Jerusalem hinauf!
und gibt deutlich zu verstehn,
daß der angestellte Lauf
nur an diesen Ort gericht,
wo man ihm das Urtheil spricht,
und am Kreuze sucht zu tödten
nach den Schriften der Propheten.
 
3 Jesu, laß mir deine Wunden
stets vor meinen Augen sein;
was die Jünger nicht verstunden,
drücke mir ins Herz hinein.
Was verborgen ihnen war,
stell mir stets im Bilde dar,
wie du hast von denen Heiden
Band und Geißel müßen leiden.
 
{* 4 Ach, die Woche werden viele
dich aufs Neue kreuzigen,
bei des Teufels Fastnachtsspiele
sich in Larven laßen sehn.
Ach, entlarve meinen Sinn,
daß ich nicht so gottlos bin,
Sondern an dein Blut gedenke
Und dich nicht von Neuem kränke.
 
* 5 Ach, was darf man Larven tragen! [Ach, wir arme Menschenkinder]
Sind wir doch schon geistlich blind, [sind ja geistlich blind und tod]
müßen leider alle klagen, [Werden nur recht arme Sünder]
daß wir wie der Bettler sind, [wann wir fühlen unsre Noth]
Der am Wege dorten saß; [den Arzt rufen wir dann an]
was für Torheit ist doch das! [der uns helfen will und kann]
Man will andern sich verdecken [und den werden wir auch finden]
und doch selbst in Blindheit stecken. [der kann helfen allen Blinden]
 
* 6 Nimm die Schuppen von den Augen,
bei den Kindern dieser Welt,
weil die Werke gar nicht taugen,
wo man dein Gedächtnis hält.
Wirf den Teufel in den Pfuhl
und zerstöre Satans Schul;
fluche denen, die dir fluchen, [Ach, bekehre…]
komm zu denen, die dich suchen.}
 
7 Will mich gleich die Welt bedräuen, [Will uns…]
so werd ich, o Davids Sohn, [droht sie uns mit Spott und Hohn]
noch viel schärfer zu dir schreien; [viel mehr werden wir…]
du bist ja mein Gnadenthron. [Hilf uns, o du Davids Sohn]
Ach, erbarm, erbarm dich mein [Ach, laß deines Geistes Glanz,]
und laß deinen Wunderschein [unser Herz erleuchten ganz]
in die blöden Augen lachen [alsdann werden wir recht sehen]
und mein Herze lichte machen. [und in deinen Wegen gehen]
 
8 Also seh ich dich im Glauben, [Lehr uns deiner Güte trauen]
bis ich dort im Schauen bin; [und von Herzen lieben dich]
will der Tod das Licht mir rauben, [bis wir dich dort werden schauen]
nimmt er nur, was lieblich, hin. [in der Freude ewiglich]
Ich muß doch, wenn das geschehn, [Laß uns dir auch folgen nach]
in Jerusalem dich sehn, [so daß andre auch Ursach]
nicht, wo man dein Kreuze hebet, [haben deine Gnad zu preisen]
sondern ohne Kreuze lebet. [und sich dankbar zu erweisen.]