Suggested tune: O TRAURIGKEIT
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O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid. J. Rist. [Easter Eve.] First published in the Erste Zehen of his Himlische Liedert, Lüneburg, 1641, p. 13, in 8 stanzas of 5 lines, entitled “A sorrowful funeral hymn on the mournful entombment of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to be sung on Good Friday," and with this note at p. 16:—
”The first verse of this funeral hymn, along with its devotional melody, came accidentally into my hands. As I was greatly pleased with it, I added the other seven as they stand here, since I could not be a party to the use of the other verses."
The original hymn appeared in the Würzburg Gesang-Buch (Roman Catholic), 1628, in 7 stanzas. The stanza adopted by Rist is there:—
"0 Trawrigkeit,
0 Hertzenleyd,
Ist dass dann nicht zu klagen:
Gottes Vatters einigs Kind,
Wird zum Grab getragen."
The hymn in this form (i.e. stanza i. as in the 1628, and stanzas ii.-viii. by Rist) by its simplicity and force obtained speedy popularity in Germany; passed into Cruger's Praxis, 1656, No. 161, and most later books, and is No. 112 in the Unverfälscher Leidersegen, 1851. Its popularity was greatly aided by the plaintive melody, which appeared with the original hymn in 1628. Translated as:—
1. O darkest woe! This, omitting stanzas ii., vi., is by Miss Winkworth, given in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, No. 54, with the original melody. Repeated in her Christian Singers, 1869, p. 191, and in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880, No. 78.
2. O grief, O woe. A good translation, omitting stanzas vi., vii., contributed by E. Thring to the Uppingham and Sherborne School Hymn Book, 1874, No. 83.
Other translations are, (1) "O boundless grief," by J. C. Jacobi, 1722, p. 19. (2) "O grief of heart," as No. 301 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. (3) "O deepest grief," based on the 1754, as No. 119 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789 (1849, No. 150). [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
Rist, Johann, son of Kaspar Rist, pastor at Ottensen, near Hamburg, was born at Ottensen, March 8, 1607, and from his birth was dedicated to the ministry. After passing through the Johanneum at Hamburg and the Gymnasium Illustre at Bremen, he matriculated, in his 21st year, at the University of Rinteln, and there, under Josua Stegmann (q. v.), he received an impulse to hymn-writing. On leaving Rinteln he acted as tutor to the sons of a Hamburg merchant, accompanying them to the University of Rostock, where he himself studied Hebrew, Mathematics and also Medicine.
During his residence at Rostock the terrors, of the Thirty Years War almost emptied the University, and Rist himself also lay there for weeks ill of the pestilence. After his r… Go to person page >
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