Christoph Wegleiter › Texts

Wegleiter, Christoph, son of Leonhardt Wegleiter, bookkeeper at Nürnberg, was born at Nürnberg, April 22, 1659. In 1676 he matriculated at the University of Altdorf, and so distinguished himself by his poetic gifts that he was, in 1679, received by S. von Birken as a member of the Pegnitz Shepherd and Flower order, and in 1680 was at once capped M.A. and laureated as a poet. After studying at other German universities, and making a lengthened tour (1685-88) in Germany, Holland, and England, he was appointed, in 1688, Professor of Theology at the University of Altdorf, and also diaconus of the Town Church there; receiving from the University the degree of D.D. in 1697. He died at Altdorf Aug. 16(13?), 1706 (Koch, iii., 502 ; Blätter für Hymnologie, 1885, p. 178 ; 1886, p. 157; 1887, pp. 30, 31; Will's Nürnbergisches Gelehrten Lexicon, pt. iv. p. 187, &c).

Wegleiter was a successful professor, and an edifying preacher of the school of Spener and Francke. His hymns, some 25 in all, are thoughtful, original, and devout, but somewhat artificial in style. Six were contributed to the 2nd edition, 1691, of the Peguitz Society's Poetischer Andachtsklang, and the rest appeared in various hymnbooks of the period.

The only hymn by Wegleiter which has passed into English is:—
Beschwertes Herz, leg ab die Sorgen. Sunday Morning. First published in the Geistliche Hertzens-Music, Schleusingen, 1701, No. 497, in 8 stanzas of 8 lines, entitled "Sunday Hymn," and marked as by "D. Christ. Wegleiter." Included in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen , 1851. Sometimes erroneously ascribed to B. W. Marperger. Translated as:—
Encumber'd heart! lay by thy sorrow. This is a good translation, omitting stanzas vi., vii., by Miss Cox, in her Sacred Hymns from German, 1841, p. 59. Her translations of stanzas iii., iv., 1l.1-4; viii., 11. 1-4, beginning, "My God, I now appear before Thee," are included in the Hedge & Huntington Hymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, U.S., 1853, No. 9.
Other translations are:—
(1) “O'erburden'd Heart, thy Labour banish," by H. J. Buckoll, 1842, p. lines (2) "Now weary heart! thy cares dismiss," by Lady E. Fortescue, 1843, p. 15. (3) "Now, heavy heart, away with sorrow," by Miss Manington, 1863, p. 147. (4) "My burdened heart, throw off thy cares," by Dr. J. Guthrie, 1869, p. 114. (5) "O burden'd heart, cast off thy sorrow." This is No. 1012 in Reid's Praise Book, 1872. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)