Aus unsers Herzen Grunde

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Aus unsers Herzen Grunde” (Cornelius Becker, d. 1604), based on Psalm LXXV, Confitebimur tibi, with title “The cup of the cross . . . A psalm and hymn of Asaph, to precent, that he may not perish” and melody assignment “Ich dank dir, lieber Herre.” Of the psalm itself, Luther writes,

It is a psalm of consolation against the stiff-necked, proud, ungodly teachers, who are so self-secure and boast of their office that they neither fear nor regard a thing, neither threats nor chastenings, as said above in Psalm 12, “Who shall teach us? We are the teachers, we occupy the office, we possess the authority, and the people must hearken or be excommunicated or be heretics,” etc. So also do our self-secure squires now sit, both spiritual and temporal tyrants, the seditious spirits too, supposing God Himself cannot get rid of them nor cast them down. But this psalm says otherwise, and comforts us by telling us to wait for the judging, and He will so judge and execute judgment that the earth will tremble and shake together with their inhabitants (v. 4). Yet He will uphold the pillars, that is, the godly, who bear and sustain the world, as St. Paul calls the church a column and pillar of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), just as He upheld Lot when He brought down Sodom, and upheld the believing Jews with the Apostles when He cut off the Jewish people. For He knows well how to uphold His own when He destroys a land.

Note a different but tenable explanation here of the earth being shaken in stanza 2 of our hymn.

 

OUR inmost heart now raises
To God, who reigns fore’er,
A song of thankful praises,
His wonders to declare,
Because His name is near us
With blessings rich indeed,
Who sends relief to cheer us
And saves in time of need!

2 The time for me is nearing
To judge the land aright,
All those their Maker fearing
Will see eternal light,
Although the foe’s great fury
Makes all the earth to shake,
God’s grace and mercy surely
The godly safe shall make.

3 I told those boasting proudly
Lift not your horn so high,
Nor praise yourselves so loudly,
Nor trust your great supply!
Your horns ye now are whetting,
Ye speak your blasphemy,
The godly man besetting,
And boasting ceaselessly:

4 There is no cause for worry!
(Ye think within your breast)
Though sudden threats may hurry
From lands to east and west,
Or from the south be speeding,
And o’er the hills appear,
We watch with eyes unheeding,
We see no need to fear!

5 Such thoughts are vain and flighty;
Your pride will soon be gone.
The judge is God Almighty
And shall He long look on?
To set up spirits lowly
By strength and pow’r untold,
To put down all self-holy—
That is His work of old.

6 For in His hand He beareth
A cup of heady wine,
Through all the earth He fareth
And poureth wrath divine,
And all must at His pleasure
Sip somewhat of His plagues,
But sinners in full measure
Shall drink it to the dregs.

7 I will declare forever
And praise Thy majesty.
O God of Jacob, never
shall cease my song to Thee.
The pow’r of those who fight Thee
Thou surely shalt destroy,
And save those who delight Thee,
That they may live on high.

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Aus unſers Herzen Grunde
Dancken wir Gott dem Herrn,
Verkündgen ſeine Wunder,
Sagen ſeim Nahmen Ehr,
Daß er uns iſt ſo nahe
Mit ſeinem Segen mild,
Schafft, daß wir Troſt empfahen,
Wenn er aus Nöthen hilfft.

2  Die Zeit kömpt, ich werd richten
Das Land in Grechtigkeit,
All die den HErren fürchten,
Beſtehen jeder Zeit,
Obgleich vons Feindes Wüten
Das Land erzittern thut,
Dennoch durch Gottes Güte
Die Frommen ſind behut.

3  Ich ſprach zun ſtoltzen Prachern:
Rühmet doch nicht ſo hoch,
Thut euch ſo breit nicht machen,
Auff Gwalt ſo ſehr nicht pocht,
Die Hörner thut ihr wetzen
Und redet Leſterwort,
Die Frommen zu verletzen
Und pochet immer fort.

4  Es ſol kein Noth nicht haben
Denckt ewer ſtoltzer Muth,
Von Morgen noch von Abend
Kein Unglück uns nichts thut,
Kems gleich von Mitternachte
Uber das wüſt Gebirg,
Denoch wir ſein nicht achten,
Keiner ſich dafür fürcht.

5  Vergebens iſt ſolch Tichten,
Ewr Trutz wird nicht beſtehn,
Denn Gott der Höchſt iſt Richter,
Sollt er die Läng zuſehn?
Den Elenden erhöhen
Durch ſeine Macht und Stärck,
Stürtzen, die ſich aufblehen,
Das iſt ſein altes Werck.

6  Der HErr hat in ſeinn Händen
Ein Becher ſtarck von Wein,
Der geht umb aller Enden,
Gar voll geſchencket ein,
Eim jeden muß belieben,
Zu thun ein Trüncklein draus,
Zuletzt gottloſe Buben
Sauffen die Hefen aus.

7  Ich will für allen Dingen
Rühmen dein Herrligkeit.
Dir, Gott Jacob, lobſingen
In alle Ewigkeit,
Denn du Herr, wirſt zerbrechen
Des Gottloſn groſſe Macht,
Du hilffſt auff dem Gerechten,
Daß er wird hoch geacht.