Nun danken wir dir, lieber Herr

Here is my translation of the post-preaching hymn, “Nun danken wir dir, lieber Herr” (Urban Pierius, d. 1616), in GGELB #8 with melody assignment “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.” Fischer has not entry for it. I find it in first in Lobwasser’s Gesänge (1646) with title and ascription “Song of Dr. Urbanus Pierius, after the Children’s Lesson. In melody: O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß.” Thus it was sung as one stanza. It later appears in the hymn appendix of the Lippe Bible (1719), Rinteln Gsb 1725, Ev. Psalter 1737, Zollikofer 1738, Eisenach Gsb 1753ff., and later editions of the Heidelberg Catechism through the Lobwasser Psalter often included. Pierius himself, a theologian at Frankfurt/Oder and Wittenberg and superintendent in Brandenburg and Saxon areas, was suspected as a crypto-Calvinist.

 

WE thank Thee, Lord, for Thy dear Word
And doctrine true therein conferred
And taught to us most purely;
We pray Thee of Thy mercy now,
With constancy our hearts endow,
To hold it ever surely.

2 To serve Thee, Lord, our hearts prepare;
Our weakness aid, Thy Spirit e’er
Make strong in operation,
That we in faith may fruitful be
And of Thy Word’s great potency
By works give demonstration.

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Nun danken wir dir, lieber Herr,
für dein Wort und der Wahrheit Lehr,
die uns ist vorgehalten.
Wir bitten dein Barmherzigkeit,
verleih uns auch Beständigkeit,
daß wir fest dabei halten.

2 O Herr, hilf unsrer Blödigkeit,
dir zu dienen mach uns bereit,
den Geist in uns wollst stärken, […thu stärken]
daß wir im Glauben fruchtbar sein,
dazu die Kraft des Wortes dein
beweisen mit den Werken.