The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Prefatory Note
• Melodies
• Ach Bleib’ Bei Uns, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Ach Gott Und Herr.
• Ach Wie Fluchtig.
• Alle Menschen Mussen Sterben.
• Allein Gott In Der Hoh’ Sei Ehr’.
• An Wasserflüssen Babylon.
• Aus Tiefer Noth Schrei Ich Zu Dir.
• Christ, Der Du Bist Der Helle Tag.
• Christ Ist Erstanden.
• Christ Lag In Todesbanden.
• Christ Unser Herr Zum Jordan Kam.
• Christe, Du Lamm Gottes.
• Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon.
• Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht.
• Da Jesus an Dem Kreuze Stund.
• Das Alte Jahr Vergangen Ist.
• Das Jesulein Soll Doch Mein Trost.
• Der Tag, Der Ist So Freudenreich.
• Dies Sind Die Heil’gen Zehn Gebot ’.
• Durch Adams Fall Ist Ganz Verderbt.
• Ein’ Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott.
• Erbarm’ Dich Mein, O Herre Gott.
• Erschienen Ist Der Herrliche Tag.
• Erstanden Ist Der Heil’ge Christ.
• Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her.
• Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ.
• Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen.
• Gott, Durch Deine Güte.
• Helft Mir Gott’s Güte Preisen.
• Herr Christ, Der Ein’ge Gottes-sohn.
• Herr Gott, Nun Sei Gepreiset.
• Herr Gott Dich Loben Wir.
• Herr Gott, Nun Schleuss Den Himmel Auf.
• Herr Jesu Christ, Dich Zu Uns Wend ’.
• Herzlich Thut Mich Verlangen.
• Heut’ Triumphiret Gottes Sohn.
• Hilf Gott, Dass Mir’s Gelinge.
• Ich Hab’ Mein Sach’ Gott Heimgestellt.
• Ich Ruf’ Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• In Dich Hab’ Ich Gehoffet, Herr.
• In Dir Ist Freude.
• In Dulci Jubilo.
• Jesu, Meine Freude.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Den Tod.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Von Uns.
• Jesus, Meine Zuversicht.
• Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist.
• Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott.
• Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel Herunter Auf Erden ?
• Kyrie, Gott Vater In Ewigkeit.
• Liebster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier.
• Lob Sei Dem Allmachtigen Gott.
• Lobt Gott, Ihr Christen Alle Gleich.
• Meine Seele Erhebt Den Herren.
• Mit Fried’ Und Freud’ Ich Fahr’ Dahin.
• Nun Danket Alle Gott.
• Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’mein.
• Es Ist Gewisslich an Der Zeit.
• Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland.
• O Gott, Du Frommer Gott.
• O Lamm Gottes Unschuldig.
• O Mensch, Bewein’ Dein’ Sünde Gross.
• Puer Natus In Bethlehem.
• Schmücke Dich, O Liebe Seele.
• Sei Gegrüsset, Jesu Gütig.
• Valet Will Ich Dir Geben.
• Vater Unser Im Himmelreich.
• Vom Himmel Hoch Da Komm Ich Her.
• Vom Himmel Kam Der Engel Schaar.
• Von Gott Will Ich Nicht Lassen.
• Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme.
• Wenn Wir In Höchsten Nothen Sein.
• Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lässt Walten.
• Wie Schön Leuchtet Der Morgenstern.
• Wir Christenleut ’.
• Wir Danken Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Schöpfer.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Vater
• Wo Soll Ich Fliehen Hin.

Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund.

• • i.

    When Jesus on the Cross was found,
  • His Body pierced with many a Wound,
  • With Torture very bitter;
  • The dying Words, which He then spake,
  • With a still Heart consider.

• • ii.

    First He does to His Father speak
  • In Heaven’s Kingdom, sweetly meek;
  • “What they to Me are doing,
  • Father! forgive, they know it not”:
  • Here He’s Love’s Pattern shewing.

• • iii.

    Weigh next the Mercy and Relief
  • Which God bestows upon the Thief;
  • He the poor Heart addresses,
  • “Verily thou shalt in Paradise
  • To-day feel My Caresses.”

• • iv.

    Thirdly observe the tender Care
  • Which He still for His House did bear;
  • “Woman, lo! there is thy Son:
  • John! see thy Mother there”; and this
  • Was the first Cross’s Union.

• • v.

    The fourth Word on the Cross accurst
  • By our Prince spoken was, “I thirst.”
  • With such keen Thirst He’s pained
  • After our Righteousness: but now,
  • Dear Heart, His Cordial’s gained.

• • vi.

    Weigh too the Scorn He underwent
  • As He to God the fifth Word sent,
  • A Scorn which knew no Measure;
  • “My God, my God! why leavest Thou Me?
  • Am I no more Thy Pleasure?”

• • vii.

    The sixth’s a very powerful Word,
  • Which many a Sinner poor has heard,
  • Out of His Mouth proceeding;
  • “It’s finished”: what? our Happiness:
  • Through what? His Wounds so bleeding.

• • viii.

    “Father!” when all was at an End,
  • Immanuel says, “I recommend
  • My Spirit separated
  • Into Thy Hands.” His Body dies,
  • His Soul’s in Life instated.

• • ix.

    He who God’s Pains in Honour has,
  • To whom our Saviour gives the Grace
  • To be in Heart possessing
  • And weigh these seven Gospel Words,
  • Enjoys a noble Blessing,

  • Johann Böschenstein (1472-1539?)     Tr. Moravian Hymn-book1 .

The Passiontide hymn, “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund,” was written by Johann Böschenstein, and is found in an undated broadsheet circa 1515. Whether it is a translation of Peter Bolandus’ “Stabat ad lignum crucis” cannot be stated positively.

Boschenstein was born at Esslingen, in Würtemberg, in 1472. In 1514 he published a Hebrew grammar at Augsburg and in 1518 settled at Wittenberg (where Melanchthon was his pupil) as a teacher of Greek and Hebrew. Later he taught Zwingli Hebrew at Zurich. He died in 1539 or 1540 at Nördlingen.

The melody (supra) traditionally associated with the hymn appears first in Valentin Babst’s Geystliche Lieder (Leipzig, 1545), and is there set to the hymn “In dich hab’ ich gehoffet, Herr.” The large number of texts of the tune found in the latter half of the sixteenth century proves it to be of earlier date than 1545. The first half of it is practically identical with the melody of Luther’s “Es woll’ uns Gott genädig sein,” which is found in use at Strasbourg in 15251 . The latter tune was reconstructed by Johann Walther from pre-Reformation material, and, with “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund,” probably traces to a common, perhaps secular, source.

The tune occurs only in the Orgelbüchlein. Bach’s form of the cantus differs in lines 2, 3, and 4 from the 1545 text. He closely follows Witt (No. 113), whose version is sanctioned generally by sixteenth century usage.

[32]

N. xv. 67. The movement is the centre of the Passiontide section of the Orgelbüchlein. The recurring Pedal rhythm, heavy, syncopated, pictures the weary exhaustion of the hanging and suffering Jesus. In two other Orgelbüchlein movements Bach conveys an impression of lassitude by the same means. In “Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf” (N. xv. 53) he seizes the lines of the first stanza

• My course is run, enough I’ve striven,
• Enough I’ve suffered here;
• Weary and sad
• My heart is glad
• That she may lay her down to rest

to represent in the Pedal the stumbling steps of the dying man groping towards his goal. In “Hilf Gott, dass mir’s gelinge” (N. xv. 76) Bach fastens on the stanza of the hymn which recalls that Christ

and represents the heavy agony of the tortured Saviour in a Pedal rhythm which supports the narrative cantus above it.

Were not Bach so naïve in his literalness, it would be extravagant to interpret the seven octave leaps upward1 that end each statement of the Pedal motive (bars 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10) in “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund” as expressing the physical effort of the dying Saviour to speak the last seven Words.

[1 ] Ed. 1746, Part II. p. 714. The original hymn has nine stanzas.

[1 ] See the melody in Bach’s Chorals, Part II. 271.

[1 ] In fact the interval in bar 4 is a seventh.