Is thy heart athirst to know

Is thy heart athirst to know

Author: Laurentius Laurenti (1700); Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Tune: BEALL
Published in 4 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

Is thy heart athirst to know
That the King of heav'n and earth
Deigns to dwell with man below,
Yea, hath stoop'd to mortal birth?
Search the Word with ceaseless care
Till thou find this treasure there.

With the sages from afar
Journey on o'er sea and land,
Till thou see the Morning Star
O'er thy heart unchanging stand,
Then shalt thou behold His face
Full of mercy, truth, and grace.

For if Christ be born within,
Soon that likeness shall appear
Which the heart had lost through sin,
God's own image fair and clear,
And the soul serene and bright
Mirrors back His heavenly light.

Jesus, let me seek for nought
But that Thou shouldst dwell in me
Let this only fill my thought,
How I may grow liker Thee,
Through this earthly care and strife,
Through the calm eternal life.

With the wise who know Thee right,
Thongh the world accounts them fools,
I will praise Thee day and night;
I will order by Thy rules
All my life, that it may be
FUN with praise and love of Thee.



Source: Chorale Book for England, The #39

Author: Laurentius Laurenti

Laurenti, Laurentius, son of Herr Lorenz, or Laurenti, a burgess of Husum, in Schleswig, was born at Husum, June 8, 1660. He entered the University of Rostock in 1681, and after a year and a half spent there, went to Kiel to study music. In 1684 he was appointed cantor and director of the music at the cathedral church at Bremen. He died at Bremen, May 29, 1722 (Koch, iv. 281; Rotermund's continuation of Jöcher's Gelehrten-Lexicon, iii. 1405, &c). Laurenti was one of the best hymn-writers of the Pietistic school. His hymns are founded on the Gospels for Sundays and Festivals, and they draw out the bearing on the Christian life of the leading thoughts therein contained. They are of noble simplicity; are Scriptural, fervent, and often of genu… Go to person page >

Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Is thy heart athirst to know
German Title: Wer im Herzen will erfahren
Author: Laurentius Laurenti (1700)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #3069
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The Cyber Hymnal #3069

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