Valet will ich dir geben*

 My next new(ish) hymn translation for Lochner’s Passion-book was “Valet will ich dir geben” (Valerius Herberger, 1613), of which stanzas 3 and 5 are included at the end of Devotion 49 (“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”). While a competent translation by Winkworth exists and is widely published, I took the opportunity to bring out some of the overlooked aspects of the German, not least of which is the acronym on the author’s Christian name. After trying different approaches, I concluded that using the Latin “Valè” is the best solution, and best preserves Herberger’s acrostic in the proper place. It should be pronounced approx. “VAH-LAY” with an artificial secondary accent on the second syllable.

 

Mel.: Valet will ich dir geben.

VALÈ! I gladly leave thee!
  Vain world, and all thy lies!
Thy sinful ways aggrieve me
  No joy of thine I prize.
In heav’n is bliss forever,
  My longings thither go;
There God will crown with favor
  Who serve Him here below.

2 Rule me by Thy conviction,
  O Jesus, God’s true Son,
Here if I meet affliction
  Lord Christ, Thy will be done!
Yet let Thy help be given,
  Make firm my failing heart,
And as an heir of heaven
  In grace let me depart.

3 In this my heart embedded,
  Thy name and cross alone
Gleam through all trials dreaded;
  Therein all bliss I own.
O Lord, so let me see Thee
  When great distress is nigh,
As on the cross Thou freely
  Didst bleed for me, and die.    

4 Unfold Thy side to hide me,
  In grace my soul conceal!
Through every danger guide me
  To realms of light and weal!
Who in Thy heart is dwelling
  Shall prosper here and soar
To ramparts all excelling,
  And be preserved e’ermore.

5 So write my name most kindly
  Within the Book of Life,
And in that bundle bind me
  Of victors in the strife,
Above in heaven dwelling,
  And flourishing in Thee;
Thy faithful heart excelling
  I’ll praise eternally!

Translation © 2011, 2025 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Valet will ich dir geben,
du arge falsche Welt;
dein sündlich böses Leben
durchaus mir nicht gefällt;
im Himmel ist gut wohnen,
hinauf steht mein Begier,
da wird Gott ewig lohnen
dem, der ihm dient allhier.

2 Rath mir nach deinem Herzen,
o Jesu, Gottes Sohn!
Soll ich hie dulden Schmerzen,
hilf mir, Herr Christ! davon;
verkürz mir alles Leiden,
stärk meinen blöden Muth,
laß selig mich abscheiden,
setz mich in dein Erbgut.

3 In meines Herzens Grunde
dein Nam und Kreuz allein
funkelt all Zeit und Stunde,
drauf kann ich fröhlich sein.
Erschein mir in dem Bilde,
zu trost in meiner Noth,
wie du, Herr Christ, so milde
dich hast geblut zu Tod.

4 Verbirg mein Seel aus Gnaden
in deiner offnen Seit,
rück sie aus allem Schaden
zu deiner Herrlichkeit.
Der ist wohl hie gewesen,
der kömmt ins Himmelsschloß;
der ist ewig genesen,
der bleibt in deinem Schooß.

5 Schreib meinen Namn aufs Beste
ins Buch des Lebens ein,
und bind mein Seel sein feste
ins schöne Bündelein
der, die im Himmel grünen
und vor dir leben frei,
so will ich ewig rühmen,
daß dein Herz treue sei.

Mein Trost und Hülf ist Gott allein

I interrupt my series on the hymns of David Spaiser to bring you my translation of the anonymous choral piece, which became a 1-stanza hymn of sorts: “Mein Trost und Hülf ist Gott allein,” first found in Balthasar Musculus, Viertzig schönen geistliche Gesenglein . . . (1597). It is a brief and heartfelt consolation in the face of adversity. The German is quoted, i.a., in Valerius Herberger, Magnalia Dei, Part 9, medit. XI.

MY HELP and stay is God alone, 

  From Him I’ll wander never. 

As His true servant I’ll be known 

  In life and death forever. 

And though the world with all its host 

Oppose me to the uttermost 

  Yet naught will move me from my God 

  While yet my tongue can speak a word. 

    World, what of thee?

    God shieldeth me,

  On Him my trust is founded.

Translation © 2012 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Mein Trost und Hülf ist Gott allein,

  ich hab mich ihm ergeben.

Ich bin und bleib der Diener sein

  im Tod und auch im Leben.

Und wenn mir gleich zuwider wär

die ganze Welt mit ihrem Heer,

  von Gott ich doch will lassen nicht,

  dieweili mein Zung ein Wörtlein spricht.

    Welt, wie du willt,

    Gott ist mein Schild:
  Auf ihn steht mein Vertrauen.

Jesu, mein Herz hat Wunden tief

Here is my translation of “Jesu, mein Herz hat Wunden tief,” a hymn-prayer to Christ for the consolation of His death and benefits. The earliest version I know of appears in Herberger's Magnalia Dei, Part 7, meditation XI (on Lev. 6), which dates to 1611. This points to authorship probably by Herberger himself (note possible self-reference in word Herberg in the German st. 2, l. 2.), or else perhaps by Johann Heermann, his prolific pupil. It was later included in Melchior Franck’s Sacri convivii (Music for the Holy Supper), Coburg 1628, no. 8, indicating its propriety for use as a Communio. It is from this latter work, apparently without ascription, that it appears in 19th century hymnological works, esp. Fischer, vol. 2, p. 120., no. 126, as an anonymous lyric. Fischer includes a cryptic, abbreviated note of a melody which was attached to it, viz.:

This would seem to indicate this sequence of notes:

Obviously not the whole tune. Note that Fischer says that it provides for "multiple repetitions of the word 'Jesus.'" I include the Latin below from Herberger (loc cit.).


DEEP wounds, O Jesus, hath my heart:
Apply Thy good Samarian art:
For in Thine open side I see
Pure wine and oil prepared for me.

Let flow Thy blood and water clean
And bring me to Thy Christian inn;
My soul and body keep and tend,
And I will thank Thee without end.

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2010.

Contemporary Language Version:
DEEP wounds, O Jesus, fill my heart:
Apply Your good Samarian art:
For in Your open side I see
Pure wine and oil prepared for me.

Let flow Your blood and water clean
And bring me to Your Christian inn;
My soul and body keep and tend,
And I will thank You without end.

GERMAN

1. Jesu, mein Herz hat Wunden tief,
Brauch du ein Samariters Griff.
Im Fläschlein deiner offnen Seit
ist Wein und Öl für mich bereit.

2. Dein Blut und Wasser flöß mir ein;
Führ mich zur Christlichn Herberg fein,
An leib und Seele pflege mein;
Dir will ich ewig dankbar sein.

LATIN

Emunda et sana, Jesu, dilecte viator,
Vino oleoque tuo, vulnera nostra, precor.
Vinum oleumque tuum, de pectore sanguis et unda est,
Hæc animæ, Jesu, sunt medicina meæ
Vulnera patris Adæ solus Samarita ligavit:
Unius Christi viscera sancta gemunt.
En spe prætereunt vanà Levita, Sacerdos,
Solius Jesu me pia cura beat.

Quicquid est in me confractum

Here is my translation of an interesting cento of Bernard's (or Arnulf of Leuven's) "Rhythmica Oratio," which is a long Passion prayer lyric on the parts of Christ's crucified body, the ultimate source of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded," and the source material for the first Lutheran oratorio, Buxtehude's "Membra Jesu Nostri." This present cento represents a clever combination of stanzas from the sections Ad Pedes (to the Feet) and Ad Latus (to the Side), with a final, apparently new, concluding statement. The Latin, shown below, is taken from Val. Herberger's Magnalia Dei (part 6, meditation 52, on the breaking of the tablets of the Law). The numbers in brackets show the section, stanza, and line from Migne (Patrologiae Latinae 184, pp. 1320–21).

WHERESO I am broken ever,
Shattered, maimed, or fraught with fever,
O sweet Jesus, heal me wholly,
Bring me restoration fully,
Apply Thy gentle remedy.

O sweet Jesus, God so tender,
I invoke Thee, my Defender,
For my sin’s relief appealing;
Healed I’ll be with but Thy healing,—
Thy precious blood that washes me.

Lo, in Thee my refuge taking,
Nor, O Jesus, Thee forsaking,
I beseech Thee, Show Thy kindness!
Deign not for my sin and blindness
Me from Thy sacred feet to thrust!

Oh, how sweet and pure the savor!
Jesus Christ, who taste Thee ever,
Conquered by Thy love and sweetness,
See in death but pure completeness,
As in Thy precious wounds they trust.

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2010.

LATIN

Quicquid est in me confractum, [900. st. 6.1]
Dissipatum vel distractum, [900. st. 6.2]
Dulcis Jesu, totum sana, [900. st. 6.3]
Tu restaura, tu complana [900. st. 6.4]
[Tam] pio medicamine. [900. st. 6.5]
Dulcis Jesu, pie Deus, [900. st. 8.1]
Ad te clamo, licet reus: [900. st. 8.2]
Me sanabis hic, ut spero, [900. st. 7.3]
Sana me, et sanus ero, [900. st. 7.4; salvus for sanus]
[In] tuo lavans sanguine. [900. st. 8.5]
Ecce, tibi appropinquo, [901. st. 11.1]
Nec te, Jesu, derelinquo, [? 900. st. 8.2=Parce, Jesu, si delinquo]
Præbe mihi te benignum, [900. st. 8.3]
Ne repellas me indignum [900. st. 8.4]
De tuis sanctis pedibus. [900. st. 8.5]
O quam dulcis sapor iste! [901. st. 16.1]
Qui te gustat, Jesu Christe, [901. st. 16.2]
Tuo victus à dulcore [901. st. 16.3]
Mori posset præ amore [901. st. 16.4]
Fidens tuis vulneribus.1 [No paral.]

Dein Blut wäscht mich, Herr Jesu Christ

Here is a stanza cited by V. Herberger's Magnalia Dei (1600), based on Jer. 48:28 and esp. Song of Sol. 2:14, and perhaps represents an early paraphrase of Bernard's hymn to the limbs of Jesus (e.g. Hora mortis meus Flatus / Intret Jesu tuum latus). Notice that it predates the similar 7th stanza of Behm's hymn on the Passion, Herr/O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (which stanza appears irregularly, however). The present verse occurs in Lutheran German devotionals throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, e.g. Dilherr, J.D. Heering, Weihenmayer, J.C. Schaller.

MY BATH, Lord, is Thy bloody tide,
My cleft of stone, Thy cloven side.
Therein I safely will remain
As does the dove in storm and rain.

Translation © Matthew Caver, 2010.

GERMAN

Dein Blut wäscht mich, HErr Jesu Christ,
dein offne Seit mein Steinritz ist. [Stein-Ritz, Steinkluft]
Drinn will ich allzeit sicher sein, [Darum…]
Wie vor dem Wettr ein Täubelein. [Wie für] [vorm] [Wetter] [Täublein]

In Wöchentliche Beiträge (1783) vol. 9, p. 50, it appears with this second stanza

Auf die Kraft der fünf Wunden dein
will ich gründen das Gebet mein,
und zwischen mein' gefaltne Händ,
dein heilig Creutz nehmen behend.

On strength of these five wounds of Thee,
I ground my prayer steadily,
And nimbly in my hands embrace
O Christ, Thy holy cross of grace.

Translation © Matthew Caver, 2010.