Jesu, Source of gladness (Jacobi)

Representative Text

I. Jesu! Source of Gladness,
Comfort in my Sadness,
Thou canst end my Grief;
Lord, thy Sight I'm wanting,
While my Heart is panting,
After thy Relief.
Saviour Christ! my Lamb and Priest!
Heav'n and Earht, without thy Treasure,
Can afford no Pleasure.

II. Under thy Protection,
Hell and Sin's Infection
Cannot hurt my Heart.
Winds may roar and thunder
Satan seek to plunder;
Vain is all his Art.
Lightnings Glare may sadly scare,
And disturb the whole Creation,
CHRIST is my Salvation.

III. I defy all Evil,
Sword, Death, Hell, and Devil,
With their Slavish Fear.
Tho' the World's me stinging,
Yet I will be singing,
For my God is near.
Satan's Clan may curse and ban;
Earth and Hell must soon be quiet,
Tho' they storm and riot.

IV. All ye worldly Treasures!
With your Sinful Pleasures,
To your Slaves remove!
Honour and Ambition,
Cease your Opposition
To my sacred Love;
Death and Pain, with all their Train,
Shall do Nothing but discover
How I love my Lover.

V. I would leave for JESUS
All the Gold of CROESUS,
And its dazzling Show.
Sifters of Ambition!
Your admir'd Condition
Must expire in Woe.
Get ye, hence, ye Joys of Sense,
To the Men of Wit and Pleasure;
JESUS is my Treasure.

VI. Fly,ye gloomy spirits;
JESUS with his Merits
Is my Guard and Prop.
Those that love TH' ANOINTED,
Shan't be disappointed
Of their living Hope.
While I here with Patience bear,
CHRIST is turning all my Sadness
Into Joy and Gladness.

Source: Psalmodia Germanica: or, The German Psalmody: translated from the high Dutch together with their proper tunes and thorough bass (2nd ed., corr. and enl.) #128

Author: Johann Franck

Johann Franck (b. Guben, Brandenburg, Germany, 1618; d. Guben, 1677) was a law student at the University of Köningsberg and practiced law during the Thirty Years' War. He held several positions in civil service, including councillor and mayor of Guben. A significant poet, second only to Paul Gerhardt in his day, Franck wrote some 110 hymns, many of which were published by his friend Johann Crüger in various editions of the Praxis Pietatis melica. All were included in the first part of Franck’s Teutsche Gedichte bestehend im geistliche Sion (1672). Bert Polman… Go to person page >

Translator: Johann Christian Jacobi

Jacobi, John Christian, a native of Germany, was born in 1670, and appointed Keeper of the Royal German Chapel, St. James's Palace, London, about 1708. He held that post for 42 years, and died Dec. 14, 1750. He was buried in the Church of St. Paul's, Covent Garden. His publications included :— (1) A Collection of Divine Hymns, Translated from the High Dutch. Together with their Proper Tunes and Thorough Bass. London: Printed and Sold by J. Young, in St. Paul’s Churchyard; . . . 1720. This edition contains 15 hymns. Two years later this collection, with a few changes in the text and much enlarged, was republished as (2) Psalmodia Germanica; or a Specimen of Divine Hymns. Translated from the High Dutch. Together with their Proper Tunes… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Jesu, Source of gladness (Jacobi)
German Title: Jesu meine Freude
Author: Johann Franck
Translator: Johann Christian Jacobi
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

JESU, MEINE FREUDE (Crüger)

Johann Crüger (PHH 42) composed JESU, MEINE FREUDE, a bar form tune (AAB) written for this text. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) incorporated the tune into his cantatas 12, 64, 81, and 87 and composed a beautiful motet and several organ preludes on the melody. Sing this great chorale in harmony throughout.…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
Page Scan

A Hymn and Prayer-Book #94

Die Union Choral Harmonie #d97

TextAudioPage Scan

Psalmodia Germanica #128

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