521. All glory be to God on High
Nikolaus Decius, c. 1490-1541
Tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78
1.
Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr’
Und Dank für seine Gnade,
Darum dass nun und nimmermehr
Uns rühren kann kein Schade.
Ein Wohlgefall’n Gott an uns hat,
Nun ist gross’ Fried’ ohn’ Unterlass,
All’ Fehd’ hat nun ein Ende.
2.
Wir loben, preis’n, anbeten dich
Für deine Ehr’; wir danken,
Dass du, Gott Vater, ewiglich
Regierst ohn’ alles Wanken.
Ganz ungemess’n ist deine Macht,
Fort g’schieht, was dein Will’ hat bedacht;
Wohl uns des feinen Herren!
3.
O Jesu Christ, Sohn eingebor’n
Deines himmlischen Vaters,
Versöhner der’r, die war’n verlor’n,
Du Stiller unsers Haders.
Lamm Gottes, heil’ger Herr und Gott,
Nimm an die Bitt’ von unsrer Not,
Erbarm’ dich unser aller!
4.
O heil’ger Geist, du höchstes Gut,
Du allerheilsamst’ Tröster,
Vor’s Teufels G’walt fortan behüt’,
Die Jesus Christ erlöset
Durch grosse Mart’r und bittern Tod,
Abwend all unsern Jamm’r und Not!
Darauf wir uns verlassen.
An example of what a good, popular hymn should be—“neither didactic nor introspective, but natural, strong, and churchly.”
The author, Nikolaus Decius, was a contemporary of Luther. (The date, “1626,” in the Hymnary is obviously wrong.) He was a monk in the Roman Catholic Church but became a follower of Luther, leaving the cloister at Steterburg, in 1519, to become a teacher and evangelical preacher. His work was carried on under constant opposition from the Church of Rome. He died suddenly in 1541 with some suspicion of having been poisoned by his enemies. Three hymns are ascribed to Decius: versions of the Sanctus, the Gloria in excelsis, and the Agnus Dei ([No. 540]). The present hymn is a translation of the second, the Gloria in excelsis. It became very popular, though Luther did not use it in any of his collections.
For comments on Catherine Winkworth see [Hymn 236].
MUSIC. NUN FREUT EUCH is also attributed to Decius who was a good musician as well as a popular preacher. It is often called “Luther’s Hymn” but there is no evidence that he wrote it. The tune appeared in Geistliche Lieder, Wittenberg, 1535, where it was set to Luther’s hymn, “Nun freut euch, liebe Christengemein.”