What Is the World to Me

Representative Text

1 What is the world to me
with all its vaunted pleasure
when you, and you alone,
Lord Jesus, are my treasure!
You only, dearest Lord,
my soul's delight shall be;
you are my peace, my rest.
What is the world to me!

2 The world seeks after wealth
and all that money offers,
yet never is content
though gold should fill its coffers.
I have a higher good,
content with it I'll be;
my Jesus is my wealth.
What is the world to me!

3 The world is like a cloud
and like a vapor fleeting,
a shadow that declines,
swift to its end retreating.
My Jesus shall remain,
though all things fade and flee,
my everlasting rock.
What is the world to me!

4 What is the world to me!
My Jesus is my treasure,
my life, my health, my wealth,
my friend, my love, my pleasure,
my joy, my crown, my all,
my bliss eternally.
Once more then I declare:
What is the world to me!

Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #717

Author: G. M. Pferfferkorn

Pfefferkorn, Georg Michael, was born March 16, 1645, at Ifta, near Creuzburg on the Werra, where his father, G. M. Pfefferkorn (a native of Creuzburg, but never pastor there), had become pastor in 1619, held the living for 58 years, but finally retired and died at Creuzburg. After studying at the Universities of Jena (M.A. 1666) and Leipzig, Pfefferkorn was for a short time private tutor at Altenburg, and then in 1668, became master of the two highest forms in the Gymnasium at Altenburg. In 1673, he was appointed by Duke Ernst the Pious, of Gotha (who died March 26, 1675), as a tutor to his three sons. In 1676 Duke Friedrich I. appointed him pastor of Friemar, near Gotha, and in 1682 made him a member of the consistory and superintendent at… Go to person page >

Translator: August Crull

August Crull was born January 27, 1845 in Rostock, Germany, where his father, Hofrat Crull, was a lawyer. He was educated at the Gymnasium in Rostock, and at Concordia College in St. Louis and Fort Wayne where he graduated in 1862. His father died soon after he began studying at the Gymnasium. His mother then married Albert Friedrich Hoppe, who later became the editor of the St. Louis edition of Luther's Works. In 1865, Crull graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He became assistant pastor at Trinity Church in Milwaukee and also served as Director of the Lutheran High School. Later he was pastor of the Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From 1873 to 1915, he was professor of the German language and literature at Concordia… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: What is the world to me
Title: What Is the World to Me
German Title: Was frag ich nich der Welt
Author: G. M. Pferfferkorn
Translator: August Crull
Meter: 6.7.6.7.6.6.6.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

DARMSTADT (Fritsch)

Also known as: WAS FRAG ICH NACH DER WELT O GOTT DU FROMMER GOTT Composed by Ahasuerus Fritsch (b. Mücheln on the Geissel, near Merseburg, Germany, 1629; d. Rudolstadt, Germany, 1701), DARMSTADT first appeared in his Himmels-Lust und Welt-Unlust (1679). The melody was altered when it was publishe…

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[O Gott, Du frommer Gott] (33654)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7512
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 17 of 17)
TextPage Scan

American Lutheran Hymnal #195

Book of Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States #d278

Text

Christian Worship (1993) #477

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship #717

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d504

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #282

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #385

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #446

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d363

TextPage Scan

Lutheran Service Book #730

Text

Lutheran Worship #418

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7512

TextPage Scan

The Lutheran Hymnal #430

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) #d794

Page Scan

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) (2nd ed) #329a

The Selah Song Book. Word ed. #d398

Exclude 11 pre-1979 instances
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