Now with joy my heart is bounding

Representative Text

Now with joy my heart is bounding,
With delight
Angels bright
Praises forth are sounding.
Hark! hark! how the choirs of Heaven,
Through the sky
Raise the cry,
Christ to you is given!

He who’s mighty to deliver,
Goes that He
Earth may free
From all woes for ever.
God is man, man to deliver,
His dear Son
Now is one
With our blood for ever.

God in us must now take pleasure,
For He gives
Whom He loves
Far beyond all measure.
To redeem us He hath given
His own Son
From the throne
Of His might in Heaven.

Who Himself and Kingdom ever,
Giveth free,
Oh! could He
Drive us from Him?—never!
Will not God’s own Son now bless us?
He who loves
And removes
All things that distress us!

Had our human nature ever
By the Lord
Been abhorr’d,
He had been man never.
Had our Lord delighted ever
In our grief,
He relief
Would have brought us never.

All transgression He assumeth,
That we’ve done
’Neath the sun,
And our Lamb becometh.
As our Lamb His life is given,
So that we,
From death free,
May have peace and Heaven!

Now He’s in the manger lying,
Me and thee
Calleth He,
In sweet accents crying,
“Banish, brethren, what’s distressing,
All your ills,
All that falls,
I bring times of blessing.”

Come, and let us now go thither,
Let us all,
Great and small.
Flock in crowds together.
Love Him who with deep love burneth,
See the light
He so bright
Kindly on us turneth.

Ye who sink in deepest anguish,
Look ye here,
Joy is near,
Grieve no more, nor languish.
Cleave to Him and He will bring you
To the place,
By His grace,
Where no pain will wring you.

All ye hearts, oppress’d with sorrow,
Ye who feel
Sin’s sore ill
And conviction’s arrow,
Courage now! for One is living
Who hath skill
You to heal,
All your pain relieving.

All ye poor ones and distressèd,
Come—come ye
Take—’tis free,
Of His store so blessèd.
Here do all good gifts flow over,
Here is gold
Stores untold!
Here your hearts recover!

Gracious Saviour! deign to hear me,
And let me
Hang on thee,
Undisturb’d stay near Thee.
Of my life Thou art the Giver,
I through Thee
Joyfully
Live contented ever.

Guilt no longer can distress me,
Son of God!
Thou my load
Bearest to release me.
Stain in me Thou findest never,
I am clean,
All my sin
Is remov’d for ever.

For Thy sake I’m clean all over,
Thou dost me
Graciously
With fair raiment cover.
To my heart’s throne I will raise thee,
Glory mine!
Flow’r divine!
Let me love and praise Thee.

Diligently I’ll preserve Thee,
To the skies
To Thee rise,
Here live for and serve Thee.
With Thee I at last shall wander,
Joyfully,
Endlessly,
And in glory yonder!

Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs, 1867

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Author: Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which condemned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >

Translator: J. Kelly

Kelly, John, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated at Glasgow University, studied theology at Bonn, New College, Edinburgh, and the Theological College of the English Presbyterian Church (to which body he belongs) in London. He has ministered to congregations at Hebburn-on-Tyne and Streatham, and was Tract Editor of the Religious Tract Society. His translations of Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs were published in 1867. Every piece is given in full, and rendered in the metre of the originals. His Hymns of the Present Century from the German were published in 1886 by the Religious Tract Society. In these translations the metres of the originals have not always been followed, whilst some of the hymns have been abridged and others condens… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Now with joy my heart is bounding
German Title:	Froelich soll mein Herze springen
Author:	Paul Gerhardt
Translator:	J. Kelly (1867)
Meter:	8.3.3.6.8.3.3.6
Language:	English
Publication Date:	1867
Copyright:	This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before 1929.