For your joy is now begun;
Wondrous things our God hath done;
Tell abroad His goodness proudly,
Who our race hath honour'd thus
That he deigns to dwell with us.
Ponder well, that our salvation
Caused His wondrous Incarnation;
Let our hearts be overflowing,
Ceaseless praise on Him bestowing!
See, my soul, thy Saviour chooses
Weakness here and poverty,
In such love He comes to thee,
Nor the hardest couch refuses;
All He suffers for thy good,
To redeem thee by His blood.
See thy Saviour, torn and bleeding,
For thy pardon interceding;
By His ransom He hath bought thee
And eternal life hath brought thee.
Lord, how shall I thank Thee rightly?
I acknowledge that from Thee
Every blessing flows to me.
Let me ne'er esteem lightly,
But to Thee in all things cleave;
So shall heart and mind receive
Perfect joy, beyond all gladness,
Blessing that surpasses sadness.
Thou art perfect peace and pleasure,
Jesus, Saviour, dearest treasure!
—Christian Keimann, trans. Catherine Winkworth. Alt. Z. Pletan
Tune: Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle, Andreas Hammerschmidt (har. Johann Sebastian Bach)
About the Authors
Christian Keimann (1607–1662) was a pastor's son born in Pankratz, in Bohemia. After graduating from the University of Wittenberg, he became the conrector and later rector of the Gymnasium in Zittau, where he stayed until his death. He was a distinguished teacher and prolific author, and his hymns rank highly in those of his time.Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878) was the most prolific translator of German hymns into English that ever lived. Dr. Julian credits her with reviving the German hymn in English-speaking circles. As a novice translator myself, I greatly admire the delicate line she walked between literal translation and beautiful English hymn-writing.
Thoughts
This is a pretty significant alteration, as far as my alterations go. The last four lines of each stanza were originally a chorus, which I didn't like and replaced with my own lines.Joy, O joy, beyond all gladness!
Christ hath done away with sadness!
Hence, all sorrow and repining,
For the Son of grace is shining.
Further, the fourth and fifth lines of the third verse originally read "Let me not forget it lightly, / But to Thee through all things cleave". Finally, I removed the fourth verse, as I felt that with my alterations it no longer fit the hymn (it probably sounds a lot less weird to a more liturgical denomination, like the Lutherans who wrote it):
Jesu, guard and guide Thy members,
Fill Thy brethren with Thy grace,
Hear their prayers in every place,
Quicken now life's faintest embers;
Grant all Christians, far and near,
Holy peace, a glad New Year!
This documentation in the name of preserving the original.
I don't remember how I first encountered this hymn; it was probably while randomly perusing Catherine Winkworth's Chorale Book for England. I remember being intrigued by the rhyme structure—it's the first and only ABBACC pattern I've ever come across. (I'm somewhat of a rhyme nerd; weird rhymes intrigue me.) I then listened to the tune, and immediately knew I had found a winner. This is one of those hymns that permanently entered my repertoire in about fifteen minutes. I love that word deign, signifying that all that God did was completely voluntary and could more easily have not been done.
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