Ach! wachet auf, ihr faule Christen

Here is my proposed English adaptation for the spiritual vigilance hymn “Ach! wachet auf, ihr faule Christen,” based on the translation previously published (Feb. 13, 2023) for the Wisconsin hymnal, “Wachet auf, ihr faule Christen.” The form appearing in NEGB #198 adapts the original text for use with the more familiar melody, “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten” by adding “Ach!” to the beginning of each stanza and removing the word “Wachet” from the end; such a form appears earlier, e.g., Strassburg 1732, Weimar-Eisenach 1744, etc., and a number of continental and American hymnals favoring the more familiar melody. In this case, we restore Findlater’s “Arise” in the first line of each stanza and omit it from the end. A textual change is necessitated in the last line of stanza 7 by the omission of the final Wachet (but NEGB omits stanzas 5-7).

 

ARISE, ye saints, no longer slumber!
Remember that God’s mighty grace
From sin’s delights, which you encumber,
Hath set you free to run the race!
Forsake the pit of shadows dark
And to thy Jesus’ summons hark:

2 Arise ye, for sin’s night offending
Doth flee before the light of day;
The gracious Gospel by God’s sending
Must chase the midnight gloom away:
Oh, walk within its glorious hue
Or ye cannot be Christians true!

3 Arise! the spirit’s willing truly,
Although the flesh is far too weak;
True Christians therefore follow duly
Not flesh, but spirit mild and meek;
Beloved souls, be wise indeed,
And let the spirit ever lead.

4 Arise! the ancient serpent, daring,
Seeks night and day with craft and might
To catch men in his net ensnaring,
For night is short; soon comes the light;
Then take in hand faith’s mighty shield—
Who slumbers on the battlefield?

5 Arise! before the hour arriveth,
The hour of death that comes ere long,
Not only weak men it aggrieveth,
But also mighty men and strong.
Belovèd! oft in spirit dwell
Upon the hour that none can tell.

6 Arise, ye Christians, be ye ready,
To greet the Lord’s approaching Day,
God’s Word doth speak this promise steady:
It is no longer far away.
Prepare yourselves, this day may be
The first day of eternity.

7 Arise! Your Master’s bidding proving.
No more His heav’nly voice despise,
Why sleep ye as the dead unmoving?
Be wakeful, turn ye, and arise!
No longer slight the Savior’s call,
Whose clear “Awake!” resounds to all.

Translation sts. 1–5, 7, Sarah Findlater, alt.
Translation st. 6 © 2023 Matthew Carver.
Alteration sts. 1–5, 7 © 2023 Matthew Carver.

Sarah Borthwick Findlater

1 Arise! ye ling’ring saints, arise!
remember that the might of grace,
When guilty slumbers sealed your eyes,
Awakened you to run the race;
And let not darkness round you fall,
But hearken to the Savior’s call.
Arise!

2 Arise! because the night of sin
Must flee before the light of day
God’s gracious Gospel, shining in,
Must chase the midnight gloom away:
Ye cannot true disciples be
If ye still walk in vanity.
Arise!

3 Arise! although the flesh be wek,
The spirit willing is and true,
And servants of the Master seek
To follow where it guided to.
Beloved! oh, be wise indeed,
And let the spirit ever lead.
Arise!

4 Arise! because our Serpent-foe,
Unwearied, strives by day and night;
Remember, time is short below,
And wrestles on with hellish might.
Then boldly grasp both sword and shield—
Who slumbers on the battle-field?
Arise!

5 Arise! before that hour unknown—
The hour of death that comes ere long,
And comes not to the weak alone,
But to the mighty and the strong.
Beloved oft in spirit dwell
Upon the hour that none can tell.
Arise!

7 Arise! it is the Master’s will:
No more His heav’nly voice despise,
Why linger with the dying still?
He calls–Arouse you, and arise!
No longer slight the Savior’s call,
It sounds to you, to me, to all.
Arise!

GERMAN

Ach! wachet auf, ihr faule Christen!
bedenket, daß euch Gottes Gnad
vom tiefen Schlaf der Sündenlüsten
zum Leben auferwecket hat.
Verlasset doch die finstre Gruft,
und höret, wenn euch Jesus ruft.

2 Ach! wachet dann die Sünden Nächte
entweichen vor dem hellen Licht,
das Gott dem menschlichen Geschlechte
im Wort und Herzen aufgericht:
ach wandelt doch in solchem Schein,
sonst könnt ihr keine Christen sein.

3 Ach! wachet: ist der Geist schon willig,
so ist das Fleisch doch gar zu schwach:
drum folgen wahre Christen billig
dem Geist, und nicht dem Fleische nach.
O theure Seelen werdet klug,
und folget doch des Geistes Zug.

4 Ach! wachet: denn die alte Schlange
sucht Tag und Nacht mit Macht und List
die Menschen in ihr Netz zu fangen,
weil wenig Zeit vorhanden ist.
Ergreifet doch den Glaubensschild,
und wisset, daß nicht Schlafen gilt.

5 Ach! Wachet, eh die Todesstunde
das unvermerkte Ziel erreicht;
ihr seht ja, wie der Todgesunde
sowohl als Kranke hinterschleicht.
Die letzte Stund ist ungewiß.
Ach, werthe Christen, merket dies.

6 Ach! Wachet! daß ihr euch bereitet
auf jenen großen Tag des Herrn;
denn wie uns Gottes Wort bedeutet,
so ist derselbe nicht mehr fern.
Ach, schicket euch, vielleicht kommt heut
der erste Tag der Ewigkeit.

7 Ach! Wachet, Jesus hats geboten.
Ach! folget seiner Wächterstimm,
Was schlafet ihr doch, wie die Todten?
ermuntert euch und kehret um,
bedenket doch, was euch behagt,
und daß Gott allen, Wachet! sagt.