O wundergroße Freude

Here is my translation of the hymn “O wundergroße Freude!” from the author’s Singekunst for the Baptism of Christ, which might have been observed in Olearius’s area on a Sunday after Epiphany rather than the Octave. The melody assigned in Singekunst is “Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn,” which, while from a thematically associated text, does not really fit the meter, which is 76.76.876, though it can be forced. Later instances found in Crüger’s Praxis do not resolve the discrepancy. While it is possible Olearius meant but failed to recast the text for the melody noted, the repeated errors in tune assignments throughout the book suggest that an inattentive editor was responsible.

Mel.: Hilf Gott, daß mirs gelinge.
 

O GREATEST height of gladness!
What never eye hath seen,
What quickens in all sadness
Today is shown to men.
The God-Man, who great wonders wrought,
Will bid His lowly servant
To do what He cannot

2 For me, a sinner lowly,
Christ is my holiness,
And mortals, rendered holy,
Find hope and blessedness
Here is the very Lamb of God
In Jordan’s waters baptized
To wash me with His blood.

3 Now heaven welcome bids me,
Now I’m a child of God,
Of sin my Savior rids me,
And makes a gracious flood.
Praise God for all His favo!
Here righteousness is freely found
Within this bath; here comfort,
Delight, and joy abound.

4 On this my faith abideth,
Assurance I obtain;
When earth at last subsideth,
This glory shall remain.
Rage, fiends of hell! I do not care!
Christ shall remain my Savior,
My Hope and Refuge e’er.

Translation © 2025 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

O wundergroße Freude!
Was nie kein Aug gesehn,
was mich in allem Leide
erquickt, ist heut geschehn,
der allerhöchste Wundermann
will seinen Diener bitten
zu thun was er nicht kann.

2 Der allergrößte Sünder
ist meine Heiligkeit,
vor aller Menschenkinder
Trost, Heil und Seligkeit
wird Gottes Lamm hier öffentlich
getauft im Jordans Wasser
mit Blut zu waschen mich.

3 Nun ist der Himmel offen,
nun bin ich Gottes Kind,
die Sünd, so mich betroffen,
weicht, weil ich Gnade find.
Gott Lob! für seine Gnade!
Hier ist Gerechtigkeit
in diesem Wasser Bade,
Trost, Freud und Seligkeit.

4 Drauf soll mein Glaube stehen,
getrost zu aller Zeit,
wenn die Welt muß vergehen,
bleibt mir dies Ehrenkleid.
Trotz, Teufel und der Höllenpfort,
mein Jesus bleibt mein Retter,
mein Trost, mein Heil, mein Hort.