Sollt ich meinem Gott nicht singen

Sollt ich meinem Gott nicht singen

Author: Paul Gerhardt
Published in 75 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 Sollt' ich Dir, o Gott, nicht singen,
Sollt' ich Dir nicht dankbar sein?
Kann ich doch in allen Dingen
Deiner Liebe mich erfreun!
Liebe ist es, nichts als Liebe,
Was Dein treues Herz bewegt,
Liebe, die mich pflegt und trägt
In dem Dienst, den ich hier übe.
Unergründlich für und für
Bleibet Deine Liebe mir.

2 Für mich ehemals Verlornen,
Der ich tot in Sünden war,
Gabst Du Deinen Eingebornen,
Gabst Du Jesum Christum dar.
Wer kann, was Du tust, ergründen,
Auf der ganzen Erde wer?
Wer aus Deiner Engel Heer
Kann es, wie Du liebst, empfinden?
Unergründlich für und für
Bleibet Deine Liebe mir.

3 Deine Füll' an Lieb' und Gnade
Mißt kein menschlich Denken aus.
Auf dem ganzen Pilgerpfade
Gehst Du segnend mir voraus.
Wollest mir auch dieses schenken:
Dir mein ganzes Herz zu weihn,
Deiner Liebe mich zu freun,
Deines Ruhmes zu gedenken,
Bis ich Dich nach dieser Zeit
Lieb' und lob' in Ewigkeit.

Source: Glaubenslieder #93

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 >

Text Information

First Line: Sollt ich meinem Gott nicht singen
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Language: German
Notes: Polish translation: See "Czyżbym nie miał ṡpiewać Bogu"; Swahili translation: See "Nintaka kumwimbia"
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Sollt ich meinem Gott nicht singen. P. Gerhardt. [Thanksgiving.] One of Gerhardt's finest hymns, setting forth the eternal love of God in His creation, redemption, and sanctification of us, His kind preservation in all our troubles and crosses, even in our forgetfulness of Him; ending with a prayer thus rendered by Mr. Massie:—

"Grant me grace, 0 God, I pray Thee,
That I may with all my might
Love, and trust Thee, and obey Thee,
All the day and all the night;
And when this brief life is o'er,
Love and praise Thee evermore."

Of it Lauxmann in Koch viii. 333 relates the following:—

"At one of the Pastoral conferences, which the venerable Father of the Faith, Karl Helfferich, of Döffingen in Württemberg, conducted from 1756 to 1785, a great many little complaints were made at table about deficiency of tithes and such like matters. For a while he listened in patience. At length, while still sitting at table, he suddenly began to sing with cheerful voice the last stanza of this hymn. At this those present felt ashamed of their petty complaints, and henceforth the conversation was of more edifying matters."

It is translated into English as:—
1. Shall I not his praise be singing. By Dr. Mills in his Horae Germanicae, 1845, p. 141.
2. Shall I not sing praise to Thee. A full and good translation by Miss Winkworth, in her Lyra Germanica, 1st Ser., 1855, p. 200; repeated omitting stanzas iii.-vi., viii., as No. 10 in her Chorale Book for England, 1863,
3. I will sing my Maker's praises. A good tr. omitting stanzas vi., viii. contributed by R. Massie to the 1857 ed. of Mercer's Church Psalter & Hymn Book, No. 185, 1864.
4. Can I fail my God to praise. A tr. of stanzas i., iii., iv. by F. C. C, as No. 218 in Dr. Pagenstecher's Collection, 1864.
5. Should I not, in meek adoring. A tr. of stanzas i.-iii. by M. W. Stryker in his Hymns & Verses, 1883, p. 38.
Other translations are:—
(1) ”Can 1 cease, my God, from singing," in Lyra Davidica, 1708, p. 22. (2) "Shan't I sing to my Creator," by J. C. Jacobi, 1732, p. 153. Repeated in the Moravian Hymn Book 1754 to 1886; in the 1789 and later eds. (1886, No. 179), beginning I will sing to my Creator." (3) "Shall I not my God be praising," by J. Kelly, 1867, p. 240. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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