1 O God, from heaven look down and see
A sight which well may move Thee:
Of godly men how few there be,
Forsaken we who love Thee!
Withheld is Thy pure Word, the light
Of faith itself extinguished quite
In all the sons of Adam.
2 Fictions they teach with cunning art,
And lies of man's invention;
Not grounded on God's Word, their heart
Breeds naught but strange dissension;
One chooses this, another that,
Untold division they create
Though saint-like in appearance.
3 May God root out all heresy,
And of false teachers rid us,
Who proudly say: "Now where is he
That shall our speech forbid us!
We have the right and might alone,
And what we say must stand, we own
None as our lord and master."
4 Therefore saith God, "I must arise,
The poor suffer wrong-doing;
To me ascend my people's sighs,
And I have heard their suing:
My saving Word shall take the field,
Shall be the poor man's strength and shield,
Shall conquer all opposers."
5 As silver seven times furnace-tried;
Is pure from all its drosses,
So doth the Word of God abide
The brighter for its crosses;
For trial shows its worth aright,
And manifests its strength, and light,
That through all lands it shineth.
6 O God, preserve it pure and free
From this vile generation,
And let us be preserved by Thee
From their abomination;
The wicked walk on every side,
When 'mid Thy flock the vile abide
In power and are exalted.
Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #278
Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody.
i. Hymn Books.
1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >
Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >
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