Johann Christoph Rube › Texts

Rube, Johann Christoph, was born Nov. 20, 1665, his father being then pastor at Hohen-und Thal-Ebra, near Sondershausen. After completing his studies in law, and becoming a licentiate, he was appointed judge (Amtmann) at Burggemünden near Alsfeld, and then, about 1704, at Battenberg (both in Hesse-Darmstadt). He died at Battenberg, May 30, 1746.

Rube was a most prolific writer of hymns. In the Universal Gesang-Buch published at Homburg in 5 vols., 1738-44, there are, according to the markings by Count Christian Ernst of Weraigerode in his private copy, no less than 536 by Rube. The earliest appeared in Luppius's Andächtig Singender Christen-Mund, Wesel, 1692, and the Geistreiches Gesang-Buch, Darmstadt, 1698….

Many of his hymns are excellent, thoughtful, good in style, and warm in feeling. Of Rube's hymns those which have passed into English are:—

i. Der am Kreuz ist was ich meine, Und sonst nichts in aller Welt. Passiontide. The older hymn beginning "Der am Kreuz ist meine Liebe, Meine Lieb ist Jesus Christ" is first found in Ahasuerus Fritsch's Jesus-Lieder, 1668, No. 21, and is probably by Fritsch. It is quite different from Rube's hymn and has not been tr. into English. The translations from Rube are (1) "Him on yonder cross I love," by Miss Winkworth, 1858, p. 33, repeated in Schaff's Christ in Song, 1869, p. 189. (2) "More than all the world beside," by R. Massie in his Lyra Domestica, 1864, p. 122, and thence in Reid's Praise Book, 1872.
ii. Der Herr bricht ein zu Mitternacht. Second Advent. Sometimes erroneously ascribed to N. L. von Zinzendorf. Translated as:—
The Lord shall come in dead of night.
iii. Schlaf sanft und wohl! schlaf liebes Kind. Cradle Hymn…It is worthy of attention as being one of the finest hymns of its class. Tr. as:—
Sleep well, my Dear! sleep safe and free! [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--exerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)