Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark

Foreword

This book deals with a subject which is new to most Englishreaders. For though Danish hymnody long ago became favorablyknown in Northern Europe, no adequate presentation of the subjecthas appeared in English. Newer American Lutheran hymnalscontain a number of Danish hymns, some of which have gainedconsiderable popularity, but the subject as a whole has not beenpresented.

A hymn is a child both of its author and of the time in whichhe lived. A proper knowledge of the writer and the age that gaveit birth will enhance our understanding both of the hymn and ofthe spiritual movement it represents. No other branches of literaturefurnish a more illuminating index to the inner life of Christendomthan the great lyrics of the Church. Henry Ward Beechersaid truly: “He who knows the way that hymns flowed, knowswhere the blood of true piety ran, and can trace its veins andarteries to its very heart.”

Aside from whatever value they may have in themselves, thehymns presented on the following pages therefore should conveyan impression of the main currents within the Danish church, andthe men that helped to create them.

The names of Kingo, Brorson and Grundtvig are known tomany, but so far no biographies of these men except of the sketchiestkind have appeared in English. It is hoped that the fairlycomprehensive presentation of their life and work in the followingpages may fill a timely need.

In selecting the hymns care has been taken to choose thosethat are most characteristic of their authors, their times and the[6]movements out of which they were born. While the translator hassought to produce faithfully the metre, poetry and sentiment ofthe originals, he has attempted no slavishly literal reproduction.Many of the finest Danish hymns are frankly lyrical, a fact whichgreatly increases the difficulty of translation. But while thewriter is conscious that his translations at times fail to reproducethe full beauty of the originals, he still hopes that they may conveya fair impression of these and constitute a not unworthy contributionto American hymnody.

An examination of any standard American church hymnalwill prove that American church song has been greatly enrichedby transplantations of hymns from many lands and languages.If the following contribution from a heretofore meagerly representedbranch of hymnody adds even a little to that enrichment,the writer will feel amply rewarded for the many hours of concentratedlabor he has spent upon it.

Most of the translations are by the writer himself. When translationsby others have been used, credit has been given to themexcept where only parts of a hymn have been presented.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 21st, 1944.