Dr. Martin Luther's Deutsche Geistliche Lieder

The Hymns of Martin Luther

Set To Their Original Melodies

With an English Version
Edited by Leonard Woolsey Bacon
Assisted by Nathan H. Allen

CONTENTS

Introduction

Dr. Martin Luther's Preface to all good Hymn Books, 1543

FROM THE "EIGHT SONGS," Wittenberg, 1524.

I. - Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein. (1523)

       "A Song of Thanksgiving for the great Benefits which God in
Christ has mainifested to us."

DEAR CHRISTIANS, ONE AND ALL REJOICE.

TRANSLATION in part from R. Massie.

FIRST MELODY, 1524. Harmony by H. Schein, 1627.

SECOND MELODY from Klug's Gesangbuch, 1543. Harmonyby M. Praetorius, 1610. This choral is commonly known underthe title, "Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit," and, in a modified form,in England and America, as "Luther's Judgment Hymn," from itsassociation with a hymn of W. B. Collyer, partly derived from theGerman, and not written by Luther.

II. - Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh' darein.

PSALM XII - Salvum me fac, Domine.

LOOK DOWN, O LORD, FROM HEAVEN BEHOLD.

TRANSLATION chiefly from Frances Elizabeth Cox, in"Hymns from the German."FIRST MELODY, 1524, is the tune of the hymn of Paul Speratus,"Es ist das Heil uns kommen her," the singing of which underLuther's window at Wittenberg is related to have made so deep animpression on the Reformer. The anecdote is confirmed by the factthat in the "Eight Songs," Luther's three version of Psalms are allset to this tune.. Harmony by A. Haupt, 1869.

SECOND MELODY from Klug's Gesangbuch, 1543. Harmony byHaupt, 1869. This is the tune in common use with this psalm innorthern Germany.

III. - Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl.

PSALM XIV.-"Dixit insipiens in corde."

THE MOUTH OF FOOLS DOTH GOD CONFESS.

TRANSLATION from R. Massie.

MELODY from Walter's Gesangbuch, 1525. Harmony by
M. Praetorius, 1610.

IV. - Aus tiefer Noth schrei' ich zu dir.

PSALM CXXX. - "De profundis clamavi."

OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY TO THEE.

TRANSLATION by Arthur Tozer Russel.

FIRST MELODY from Walter's Gesangbuch, 1525. Harmony by
John Sebastian Bach, about 1725.

SECOND MELODY in Wolfgang Koephl's Gesangbuch, 1537,and in George Rhau's, 1544. Harmony by A. Haupt, 1869.

FROM THE "ENCHIRIDION," Erfurt, 1524.

V. - Ein neues Lied wir heben an.

"A Song of the Two Christian Martyrs, burnt at Brussels by theSophists of Louvain. Which took place in the year 1522." [Thereal date of the event was July 1, 1523; and the ballard gives everytoken of having been inspired by the first announcement of thestory. The excellent translation of Mr. Massie has been conformedmore closely to the original in the third and fourth stanzas; also, bya felicitous quatrain from the late Dr. C. T. Brooks, in the tenthstanza.]

BY HELP OF GOD I FAIN WOULD TELL.

TRANSLATION principally that of R. Massie.

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