Wednesday, December 7, 2011

FW: O freu dich, Jerusalem

 

Cantemus…

 

Feed: HYMNOGLYPT
Posted on: Monday, December 05, 2011 8:34 AM
Author: Matt Carver (Matthaeus Glyptes)
Subject: O freu dich, Jerusalem

 

Here is my translation of the Bohemian Brethren hymn, "O freu dich, Jerusalem" (J. Horn, 1544), on the Incarnation, suitable for Advent (esp. Ad Te Levavi) and Laetare, referencing both Isaiah 66 and Jeremiah 23. The tune is proper. Note that my scheme has been based on that of the German translation, which was done in couplets with a last unrhymed line, and the presumably trochaic endings of the original Bohemian lines slurred into monosyllables, so that the scheme is rigid AABBCCDDE. It seems at second glance, however, that the translation might be better served with interlocking rhymes and trochees where the melodic lines end in slurred monosyllables (A-Bn-A-Bn-Cn-Cn-A-Cn [or Dn]). I may venture that sometime in the future, since it would probably sound more natural.




O REJOICE, Jerusalem;
O Church, thy silence stem!
Praise thy God exultingly,
Who turned His wrath from thee,
And, in thy need, to prove
His unfailing love,
Sent His one begotten Son
From heaven's lofty throne,
To this vale of tears.

2. This He did thy sin to take,
And thee from bondage break,
And, partaking of our flesh,
Salvation bring afresh,
Which never human might
Could itself set right:
Thus, lest thou be ever doomed,
Thy nature He assumed,
Stooping down so low.

3. In a servant's humble frame
Into our world He came.
From the Father hither sent,
Thy King and Savior bent
His will most readily
To give up for thee
His own life to shameful death
That all distress and wrath
Might from thee be kept.

4. Jesus is the Seed divine,
The Branch of David's line
Who Himself the human race
Restored by boundless grace
Of mighty majesty,
God of heav'n is He,
And the true Immanuel
Who did our souls from hell
Wondrously redeem.

5. Grace and comfort fill His name,
And are His rightful claim,
Called: The Lord our Righteousness,
Clothed in our human dress,
For us He rules and crowns
And adorns with gowns
Of His glory unalloyed
Which, heaven's hosts, o'erjoyed,
Ever long to see.

6. Therefore Christ the Savior praise,
Sent down, our souls to raise,
And beseech Him for our sake
That here we may partake
Of His own righteousness
And the holiness
Of His conception ay:
To Christ thy Lord then pray,
Ne'er Thy Church forsake!

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2011.

GERMAN

1. O freu dich, Jerusalem,
du christliche Gemein,
lob Gott mit fröhlicher Stimm,
daß er von dir sein Grimm
aus Lieb gewendet hat
und um deiner Not
gesandt seinen lieben Sohn
von dem himmlischen Thron
auf den Jammerthal.

2. Aufdaß er dich deiner Sünd
benehm, davon entbünd,
und durch sein Theilhaftigkeit
bring zu der Seligkeit
welch sonst kein menschlich Macht
hat zu wegen bracht
darum nimmt er dir zugut
in so großer Demut
dein Natur an sich.

3. Sehr in niedriger Gestalt
ist er auf diese Welt
vom Vater herab gesandt,
dein König und Heiland,
der also williglich
sein Leben für dich
hie opfert bis in den Tod,
daß du aus aller Not
möchtest ledig sein.

4. Er ist der verheißne Sam,
der Zweig von Davids Stamm,
durch den das menschlich Geschlecht,
wird wiederbracht zurecht,
von sehr großer Gewalt
göttlicher Gestalt,
der rechte Immanuel,
welcher uns aus der Hell,
selbst erlöset hat.

5. Sein Nam ist voll Trosts und Gnad,
denn er hat von der That
Herr, unser Gerechtigkeit
heißt er in der Menschheit,
damit er uns regiert,
lieblich schmückt und ziert,
und schenkt uns solch Herrlichkeit
welch die Engel erfreut
und gelüst zu sehn.

6. Ei, lob Christum den Heiland,
vom Vater uns gesandt;
bitt ihn auf daß er uns auch
allhie theilhaftig mach
seiner Gerechtigkeit
wird und Heiligkeit
darinn er mpfangen ist
sprich, O Herr Jesu Christ,
verlaß dein Volk nicht.


View article...


View article...