04 December 2024

Kommt, lieben Leut, her gen Hesbon

Here is my translation of the canticle paraphrase, “Kommt, lieben Leut, her gen Hesbon” (C. Spangenberg, d. 1582), the author’s 13th in the series, titled “Saying or song of the children of Israel when they defeated Sihon, King of the Amorites, Num. 21,” with subtitle “It is a psalm of thanskgiving for victory obtained, it threatens the ungodly with eventual punishment and destruction.” The appointed melody is “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.”

 


DEAR people, into Heshbon pour,
Let Sihon’s town be built once more;
God raise His congregation!
For lo, a fire from Heshbon came,
From Sihon’s city shot a flame,
A wondrous conflagration.

2 Ar was consumed by fire from God,
All them that dwelt at Arnon’s flood—
The Moabitic nation;
Woe, woe to thee, Moab of Lot!
Thou Chemosh now art rendered naught,
Razed e’en to the foundation!

3 Thy sons have been defeated quite
Within the walls and in their flight;
Thy daughters made as chattel;
The king of Amoritic lands
Was led in heavy iron bands,
As he that lost the battle.

4 Extinguished is Thy majesty,
The land in all its breadth I see
Is laid waste and dejected;
Thy strength is gone, thy spirit cowed;
So is it with th’ ungodly crowd
Who have God’s Word neglected.

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Kommt, lieben Leut, her gen Hesbon,
daß man erbau die Stadt Sihon,
Gott sein Gemein aufrichte;
aus Hesbon ist gefahren Feur,
ein Flamm von Sihon ungeheur,
war ein Wundergeschichte.

2 Auffraß das Feur die groß Stadt Ar
und all Bürger zu Arnon gar,
im Moabiter Lande,
Weh dir, Moab von Loth geborn;
du Volk Kamos bist nun verlorn,
verdorben gar mit Schanden.

3 Dein Söhne man geschlagen hat
all in die Flucht und in der Stadt,
dein Töchter all gefangen;
der Amoriter König auch
ist weggeführt nach Krieges Brauch
in schweren Eisenbanden.

4 Verloschen ist dein Herrlichkeit,
das ganze Land, weit, lang und breit,
ist aller Ding verstöret,
dein Macht ist hin, dein Pracht ist aus,
also gehts der Gottlosen Haus,
wo man Gotts Wort nicht höret.

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