Jauchzet allsamt / und lobt Gotts Namen, alle Land

Here is my translation of the psalm parapharase, “Jauchzet allsant / und lobt Gotts Namen, alle Land” (Burkard Waldis, d. 1556) based on Psalm LXVI, Jubilate Deo, with title “Psalm of thanksgiving that God delivers in all troubles and answers prayer.” The Dorian melody by Waldis fits the uncommon meter 487.487 D. I give the melody transpose down somewhat (a clef-switch from Fa to Doh, a common quint transposition), and also provide an alternate, and I think superior, reading of the ostensible slur in the second line (before the bar), over against Zahn’s comparatively awkward reading. It would be rather unusual for an unaccented syllable in this situation to carry a slur even of two syllables, while a slurring of two previous notes keeps the slurs on the accents. This seems to be supported by Heugel’s Tenor line as well.

 

YE lands, rejoice,
Make unto God a joyful noise
His name’s high honor singing!
Say unto God
Thy works are wondrous; praise and laud
To Thee must all be bringing!
Whate’er Thy foes
In pride devise, Thee to oppose,
Though strong they be and clever,
Shall serve them ill;
They must submit, nor can their will
Succeed or prosper ever.

2 Therefore to Thee
Let all earth sing unitedly,
Come, sing your strains resounding:
See how God hath
Shown His great wonders, pow’r, and wrath,
The sons of men astounding.
He by His hand
Turned seas into dry land,
His host went through with gladness.
Eternally
Abide His glory and decree
Despite the heathen’s madness.

3 Those who arise
And counsels for His fall devise,
To ruin e’er He bringeth,
So praise His might,
All nations, laud His splendor bright,
Till far His glory ringeth,
He grants us here
Life, mercy, grace, and cause for cheer,
And keeps our feet from sliding;
From all distress
He helps us here, and blessedness
Will grant us there abiding.

4 Thy chast’ning rod
Hath smitten us, O righteous God,
Thy fire as silver cleansed us.
Lord, us Thou hast
In prison and affliction cast
And held our sins against us,
And to our woe,
The enemy did mighty grow,
And o’er our heads hath ridden,
We went through fire,
Through waters almost did expire,
Thine anger was not hidden.

5 Thee, Lord, we bless,
Who broughtest us out of distress,
Deliv’ring from affliction.
When I make known
Thy grace, which saved me and mine own,
Profession my conviction,
My lips shall sound
Thy mercy to all men around,
That hath my sin forgiven
Through Jesus Christ,
Who is our Mediator prized,
And brings us life in heaven.

6 Come, hear, all ye
That fear God with sincerity;
I’ll tell His wonders splendid!
To Him I cried,
And said, Lord, speak me justified,
My cause let be defended!
If I should be
In heart unrighteous unto Thee,
Thou surely wilt not hear me.
But me reject,
And all my works and deeds neglect,
And to my ruin steer me.

7 Then was my pray’r
Received by God, who heard wiht care
And saw with great compassion
My misery,
Grief, sorrow, and calamity,
My sighs and supplication.
Blest be the Lord,
Who heard the pray’r my heart outpoured!
So may His comfort ever
Upon me flow’r
With grace and help in trouble’s hour,
And take it from me never!

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN
Jauchtzet allsand,
Und lobt Gots Namen alle land,
Herlich rhümt seine ehre,
Und sprecht zu Got,
Wie groß sind deine wunderthat,
Du bist alleyn der Herre,
Was wider dich
All deine feinde trutziglich
Gedencken auff zu bringen,
Das sol in hie,
Zur rach und schaden uber sie,
Doch nimmer mehr gelingen.

2 Drumb lobe dich,
Und sing all welt eintrechtiglich,
Kompt, laßt euch nicht verhindern,
Seht wie got hat
Erzeygt sein grosse wunderthat,
Under den menschenkindern,
Das rote meer,
hat Er trücknet, und sein heer
Fürt er dadurch mit freuden,
Von Ewigkeyt,
Ist sein Herrschafft und herrligkeyt,
Gewaltig undern Heyden.

3 Was sich erhebt,
Und wider seinen willen strebt,
Das läßt er ewig fallen,
Drumb lobt solch macht,
Preißt alle völcker seinen pracht,
Seinn rhum laßt weit erschallen,
Der uns hie frist
Das leben, und barhmhertzig ist,
Läßt unser füß nit gleiten,
Auß allem leyd
Hilfft er uns hie, die seligkeyt
Wil uns dorten bereyten.

4 Dein straff und zucht,
Hat uns angriffen, und versucht,
Wie silber wirt purgiret,
Herr Got du hast,
In gfenckniß und in schwere last,
Umb unser sünd gefüret,
Daß uns zur pein,
Die feind so hoch gewachssen sein,
Ob unserm haupt herfaren,
In wasser, fewr,
In unglück groß und ungehewr,
Han wir deinn zorn erfaren.

5 Du Herre Got,
Hast uns gefürt auß aller not,
Drumb wil ich dich auch preisen,
Wann ich dein gnad
Erkenn, die mir geholffen hat,
Meinn glauben zu beweisen,
Dann sol mein mund,
Dein gnade rhümen alle stundt,
Daß mir mein sünd vergeben,
Durch Jesum Christ,
Der bei dir unser mitler ist,
Durch welchen wir auch leben.

6 Kompt hört mir zu,
All die ir seit gotförchtig nu,
Sein wunder wil ich rhümen,
Zu im rieff ich,
Und sprach, HERR komm und richte mich,
Mein sache zuverthümen,
Bin ich dein knecht,
Vor dir im hertzen ungerecht,
So wöllst mich nicht erhören,
Verwirff mich hin,
Mit meinem thun, in schlechtem sinn,
Mein anschläg zuverstören.

7 Da ward erhört
Mein gbet, daß sich Got zu mir kert,
Mit gnaden anzusehen,
In jamert zwar
Mein unglück und mein elend gar,
Mein seufftzen und mein flehen,
Gelobt sei Got,
Der mein gebet erhöret hat,
Tröst mich an allen enden,
Sein gnade blüt
Uber mir, und sein grosse güt
Wirt nimmer von mir wenden.

Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr” (Cornelius Becker, d. 1604), based on Psalm LXVI, Jubilate Deo omnis terra. The melody by Schütz here is taken from Th. Goldschmid, ed., Zwanzig vierstimmige Psalmen (Breitkopf Härtel: Lepzig, 1900), p. 14.

—— Update (May 30, 2024): The hymn appears in Becker’s Psalter of 1602 with the title “God delivers from trouble . . . A psalm to precent” and melody assignment “Christ, der du bist der hellte Tag.” On the psalm itself, Luther writes, “It is a psalm of thanksgiving for His general benefaction, that He often delivered His people out of the hands of the enemies and preserved them in the Red Sea. The history of Judges and the Books of Kings are full of this. Which He also does for us daily, delivering and preserving His own in the true faith against the devil, spirits, sin, etc.” — It should also be noted that R. E. Wunderlich produced a translation of this psalm in three stanzas, found in his Ten Psalms . . . (CPH, 1958) titled “Praise God, Ye Lands, throughout Earth’s Frame”

 

YE lands aloud your God acclaim,
Exalt the honor of His name
His praises sing; to God declare
In every need, Lord, Thou art there.

2. O come, attend ye, everyone,
The mighty acts which God has done!
How wonderful His works appear
Shall now to thee, O man, be clear.

3. He turned the Red Sea to dry land,
And cleared a highway by His hand;
His people passed with footstep dry,
Now Him with joy we magnify.

4. He rules forever by His might,
Men’ s works He keeps in constant sight,
Th’ ungodly shall not find a place,
But be cast down in all disgrace.

5. Ye nations, render praise to God
In every place His glory laud,
Who doth our soul and body keep,
And suffers not our foot to slip.

6. Into His house I long to go
His honest worship to bestow,
To pay my vow in song and pray’r,
For all His mercy, grace, and care.

7. The promise that I spoke before,
And swore to God that needful hour
When I in woe and troubles lay,—
I will with true confession pay.

8. My cry by God was truly heard,
And He by grace my hope secured,
Therefore to God be thanks and praise,
Who never turned from me His grace.

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2011.

GERMAN

Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr,
erhöhet seines Namens Ehr,
lobsinget ihm und sprecht zu Gott:
Herr, du hilfst uns aus aller Not.

2. Kommt her und schauet fleissig an
dei grossen Werk, die Gott gethan;
wie herrlich seine Thaten sind,
werde dir kund, o Menschenkind.

3. Ins Trocken er verwandelt hat
das rote Meer zu mrichtgen Pfad;
daß sein volk trocken ging durchhin;
des freun wir uns und preisen ihn.

4. Eewig herrscht er durch seine Macht,
der Leute Thun nimmet er in Acht;
wer gottlos ist, der hält nicht Stand,
er geht zu Grund mit Spott und Schand.

5. Ihr Völker lobet unsern Gott
sein Ruhm erschall an allem Ort;
denn er bewahrt uns Leib und Seel,
und unsern Fuß, daß er nicht fehl.

6. Drum will ich gehen in sein Haus,
den Gottesdienst zu richten aus,
zu zahlen der Gelübde Schuld,
zu opfern seiner Güt und Huld.

7. Was ich geredt mit meinem Mund
und Gott gelobt zu jener Stund,
da ich in Angst und Nöthen war,
das will ich machen offenbar.

8. Got hat mein Seufzen wohl erhört
und mir mein Bitt in Gnad gewährt.
Lob und Dank sag ich ihm dafür,
daß er sein Gnad nicht wendt von mir.