Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Weinachtslieder: The Ones I Didn't Know

There were a couple of German carols Sunday Night that I didn't know.

These are probably well-known in some circles (plenty of youtube videos available), but I think even those fluent in German struggled with this one.

Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,
O Jesu du mein Leben;
Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,
Was du mir hast gegeben.
Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,
Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin
Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.

I remain here by Your cradle,
O Jesus my Life;
I come and bring and give to you
What you would have me give
Take it, it is my spirit and senses,
Heart, soul and strength, take all of it
And leave what is pleasing to you.

I believe this it the tune they used Sunday evening.


I am more familiar with this tune, which you might know as "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near." It's an interesting mix for me, a "baby Jesus" text with an "end times" tune. It places one both at the manger and at the second coming. His incarnation and His return meet up this way.

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