Martin Rutilius › Recommendations

Rutilius, Martin, son of Gregorius Rüdel or Rutilius (who in 1548 was diaconus at Salza, near Magdeburg, and in 1551 became pastor at Düben on the Mülde, in Saxony), was born Jan. 21, 1550. After studying at the Universities of Wittenberg and Jena, he was appointed, in 1575, pastor at Teutleben, near Gotha. In 1586 he became diaconus at Weimar, where, after being for some time archidiaconus, he died Jan. 18, 1618.
The translations [of his hymns] in common use are:—
1. 0 God my Lord! How great's the Hoard. In full by J. C. Jacobi, in his Psalter Germanica, 1722, p. 56. In his edition 1732, p. 89, it was greatly altered, and st. 1.—ill., viii., x. of this form were included in the Evangelical Union Hymn Book, 1856.
2. When rising winds, and rain descending. This is a free translation in 8 lines, of st. vii.-x. by T. Dutton, as No. 250 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789 (1886, No. 314). Included in Dr. Martineau's Hymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873.
3. Alas! my God! My sins are great. A good translation of st. i.-vi., by Miss Winkworth, as No. 107 in her Chorale Book for England , 1863. Repeated, omitting st. iv., in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal , 1880.
Other translations are: —
(1) "As small birds use A hole to chuse" (st. vii.-x.) as No. 445, in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. (2) "Alas! my Lord and God." By Miss Winkworth, 1858, p. 130. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

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