The Hymns of Martin Luther Set to their original melodies   By: Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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. Harmony by M. Praetorius, 1610. This choral is commonly known under the title, "Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit," and, in a modified form, in England and America, as "Luther's Judgment Hymn," from its association with a hymn of W. B. Collyer, partly derived from the German, 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 under Luther's window at Wittenberg is related to have made so deep an impression on the Reformer. The anecdote is confirmed by the fact that in the "Eight Songs," Luther's three version of Psalms are all set to this tune.. Harmony by A. Haupt, 1869.

SECOND MELODY from Klug's Gesangbuch, 1543. Harmony by Haupt, 1869. This is the tune in common use with this psalm in northern 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 the Sophists of Louvain. Which took place in the year 1522." [The real date of the event was July 1, 1523; and the ballard gives every token of having been inspired by the first announcement of the story. The excellent translation of Mr. Massie has been conformed more closely to the original in the third and fourth stanzas; also, by a felicitous quatrain from the late Dr. C. T. Brooks, in the tenth stanza.]

BY HELP OF GOD I FAIN WOULD TELL.

TRANSLATION principally that of R. Massie.

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

VI. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland.

From the Ambrosian Hymn, "Veni, Redemptor, gentium.)

SAVIOUR OF THE HEATHEN, KNOWN.

TRANSLATION in part from R. Massie.

MELODY derived from that of the Latin hymn, in Walter's Gesangbuch, 1525. Harmony from "The Choral Book for England," by Sterndale Bennett and Otto Goldschmidt, 1865.

VII. Christum wir sollen loben schon.

(From the Latin hymn, "A solis ortus cardine.")

NOW PRAISE WE CHRIST, THE HOLY ONE.

TRANSLATION by R. Massie.

MELODY that of the Latin hymn. Harmony by M. Praetorius, 1609.

VIII. Gelobet sei'st du, Jesu Christ.

ALL PRAISE TO JESUS' HALLOWED NAME.

TRANSLATION chiefly by R. Massie.

ANCIENT GERMAN CHURCH MELODY. Harmony by A. Haupt, 1869.

IX. Christ lag in Todesbanden.

"Christ ist erstanden." Gebessert.

CHRIST WAS LAID IN DEATH'S STRONG BANDS.

MELODY derived from that of the older German hymn. Harmony by Bennett and Goldschmitt, 1865.

X. Komm, Gott Schoepfer, heiliger Geist.