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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein. - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 3 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works [1921]

Edition used:

Bach’s Chorals. Part III: The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works, by Charles Sanford Terry (Cambridge University Press, 1915-1921). 3 vols. Vol. 3.

Part of: Bach’s Chorals, 3 vols.

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Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein.

lf1393-03_figure_082

Melody:Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein

Anon. 1535

lf1393-03_figure_083

Melody:Wach auf, wach auf, du schone

Anon. 1555

    • i.

      Dear Christians, let us now rejoice,
    • And dance in joyous measure;
    • That, of good cheer, and with one voice,
    • We sing in love and pleasure
    • Of what to us our God hath shown,
    • And the sweet wonder He hath done:
    • Full dearly hath He wrought it.
    • ii.

      Forlorn and lost in death I lay,
    • A captive to the devil.
    • My sin lay heavy, night and day,
    • For I was born in evil.
    • I fell but deeper for my strife,
    • There was no good in all my life,
    • For sin had all possessed me.
    • iii.

      My good works they were worthless quite,
    • A mock was all my merit;
    • My free will hates God’s judging light,
    • To all good dead and buried.
    • Even to despair me anguish bore,
    • That nought but death lay me before;
    • I must go down to hell-fire.
    • iv.

      Then God was sorry on His throne
    • To see such torment rend me;
    • His tender mercy He thought on,
    • His good help He would send me.
    • He turned to me His father-heart;
    • Ah! then was His no easy part,
    • For of His best it cost Him.
    • v.

      To His dear Son He said: Go down;
    • Things go in piteous fashion;
    • Go down, My heart’s exalted crown,
    • Be the poor man’s salvation.
    • Lift him from out sin’s scorn and scathe,
    • Strangle for him that cruel Death,
    • And take him to live with Thee.
    • vi.

      The Son He heard obediently,
    • And by a maiden mother,
    • Pure, tender—down He came to me,
    • For He would be my brother.
    • Secret He bore His strength enorm,
    • He went about in my poor form,
    • For He would catch the devil.
    • vii.

      He said to me: Hold thou by Me,
    • Thy matters I will settle;
    • I give Myself all up for thee,
    • And I will fight thy battle.
    • For I am thine, and thou art Mine,
    • And My house also shall be thine;
    • The enemy shall not part us.
    • viii.

      He will as water shed My blood,
    • My life he from Me reave will;
    • All this I suffer for thy good—
    • To that with firm faith cleave well.
    • My Life doth swallow up that Death;
    • My innocence bears thy sins, He saith,
    • So henceforth thou art happy.
    • ix.

      To Heaven unto My Father high
    • From this life I am going;
    • But there thy Master still am I,
    • My spirit on thee bestowing,
    • Whose comfort shall thy trouble quell,
    • Who thee shall teach to know Me well,
    • And in the truth shall guide thee.
    • x.

      1 What I have done, and what have said,
    • Shall be thy doing, teaching,
    • That so the kingdom of God may spread—
    • All to His glory reaching.
    • And take heed what men bid thee do,
    • For that corrupts the treasure true;
    • With this last word I leave thee.
    • Martin Luther (1483-1546)     Tr. George Macdonald.

[1 ]Exotics, p. 80. The original hymn has ten stanzas.