Here is my partial translation of the hymn, “Kommt her, ihr liebsten Schwesterlein,” stanzas 32–39 (of 44 total), for the feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, covering the text including the appointed Gospel from Mark 6. The hymn, or Abendreien (evening song), was originally included in Herman’s Sonntags-Evangelia for the maidens’ school with the melody now famous from the Christmas hymn (also a “Reien”) “Lobt Gott ihr Christen allzugleich.” “Let All Together Praise Our God.” The original text is for John’s Nativity, but covers the whole life and career of John the Baptist, beginning with exhortation to the “little sisters,” or maidens or young women of the school, to join in singing, and ending with supplications and litany specific to the young women (“little sisters”). While a separate hymn exists in the 1580 edition, that is likely the work of Gregorius Sunderreitter, who at that time revised the collection and inserted a number of his own hymns. For a properly contextualized beginning, I supply “John” to the first stanza of this excerpt.
Mel.: Kommt her, ihr liebsten Schwesterlein.
(Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich).
WHEN John had done his labor due,
Had baptized, taught, and warned,
He spared not Herod, but spoke true,
And his own life he scorned. (x2)
2 For John rebuked him for his crime
And his adult’rous sin;
But Herod found in little time
The means to bring him in. (x2)
3 Herodias, with wicked pride,
Heaped fuel upon the fire;
From plots that hag, the devil’s bride,
Would never cease, nor tire. (x2)
4 At last, to take John’s life away,
She sent her daughter dread,
To dance and make such sport and play,
All for John’s saintly head. (x2)
5 His head was borne unto the maid
Upon a platter round, {Upon a silver tray}
Who then before her mother laid
That prize, the dearest found. {That prize the selfsame day.} (x2)
6 And so he died, the champion dear,
As since have martyrs more;
For so God willed, to whom we here
Sing praise, and Him adore! (x2)
7 God, help us give John faithfully
All honor right and due;
Help us his students good to be,
And to his teaching true. (x2)
8 And help us in all fear and need,
Lord Jesus, trust in Thee,
Whose forerunner was John indeed—
God, grant it graciously! (x2)
Translation © 2026 Matthew Carver.
GERMAN
Da er sein Amt hat ausgericht
mit seiner Tauf und Lehr,
wollt er Herodi heucheln nicht,
er sagt ihm wer er wär.
2 Er straft ihn um sein Sünd und Schand,
und sein Ehbrecherei,
Herodes bald ein ursach fand,
auf daß er ihm käm bei.
3 Herodias die böse Haut,
die schüret fleißig zu;
der schnöde Balk, die Teufels Braut,
hat weder Rast noch Ruh.
4 Bis daß sie ihn ums Leben bracht
mit ihrem Töchterlein,
die tanzet und viel Kurzweil macht
wohl um das Leben sein.
5 Sein Haupt man gab dem Mägdelein
auf einer Schüßel rund
die brachts dem bösen Mütterlein
bald zu den selben Stund.
6 So nahm sein End der theure Held
wie andre Heilgen mehr,
denn es Gott also wohl gefällt,
dem singn wir Lob und Ehr.
7 Hilf Gott, daß wir dem Hänselein
thun mögen rechte Ehr,
hilf daß wir siene Schüler sein
und folgen seiner Lehr.
8 Und trauen dir, Herr Jesu Christ,
in aller Angst und Noth,
des Vorläufer Johannes ist,
das hilf uns lieber Gott!
