Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs Translated by John Kelly   By: Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)

LONDON:

PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.

PAUL GERHARDT'S SPIRITUAL SONGS

TRANSLATED BY JOHN KELLY

ALEXANDER STRAHAN, PUBLISHER 56, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON 1867

CONTENTS.

PAGE Preface vii Biographical Sketch xi Index of First Lines xliii Of the Holy Trinity 1 Advent 5 Birth of Christ Christmas 14 Circumcision of Christ New Year 43 The Sufferings of Christ Good Friday 49 Resurrection of Christ Easter 71 Whitsuntide 78 Repentance 83 Prayer and the Christian Life 97 Songs of the Cross and Consolation 143 Songs of Praise and Thanksgiving 238 Morning and Evening Songs 270 Miscellaneous 289 Of Death, the Last Day, and Eternal Life 312

PREFACE.

This volume contains a large selection from Paul Gerhardt's "Spiritual Songs." Every piece included is given in full, and is rendered into the metre of the original. A few of the following translations have appeared at various times during the last three years in different periodicals. They have been revised for this volume. Several of the hymns have been beautifully translated by others; and had the Translator been compiling a volume composed of selections from various authors, this might have formed a strong reason for not doing them again, but to have omitted them from a volume like the present would have been to give a selection from Gerhardt without some of his most celebrated productions; besides, in the other collections where they appear they are not all given in full, nor are they always rendered into the metre of the original, save in those published with the music attached. As far as the Translator is aware, the greater number of the following songs have never appeared in an English dress before.

Every one who has reflected on the subject, or attempted metrical translation, knows that literality is rarely attainable, that a certain measure of freedom must be used. The Translator has, however, striven to maintain fidelity to the sense of the original, and has occasionally somewhat sacrificed euphony to fidelity.