From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

From Heaven above to earth I come To bear good news to every home

Translator: Catherine Winkworth; Author: Martin Luther (1535)
Tune: VOM HIMMEL HOCH
Published in 123 hymnals

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Full Text

1 From heaven above to earth I come
to bring good news to every home;
glad tidings of great joy I bring
of which I now will say and sing.

2 "To you this night is born a Child
of Mary, chosen virgin mother mild;
this little Child of lowly birth
shall be the joy of all the earth."

3 Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
make now a bed, soft, undefiled
within my heart, a quiet place,
a holy chamber for Your grace.

4 All glory be to God in heaven,
who unto us His Son has given.
While angels sing with tender mirth,
a glad new year to all the earth.

Source: Celebrating Grace Hymnal #128

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Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth is "the most gifted translator of any foreign sacred lyrics into our tongue, after Dr. Neale and John Wesley; and in practical services rendered, taking quality with quantity, the first of those who have laboured upon German hymns. Our knowledge of them is due to her more largely than to any or all other translators; and by her two series of Lyra Germanica, her Chorale Book, and her Christian Singers of Germany, she has laid all English-speaking Christians under lasting obligation." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872… Go to person page >

Author: Martin Luther

Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody. i. Hymn Books. 1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: From Heaven above to earth I come To bear good news to every home
Title: From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
German Title: Von Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Author: Martin Luther (1535)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
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Notes

Scripture References:
all st. = Luke 2:10-14

Written by Martin Luther (PHH 336) for his family's Christmas Eve devotions, this text (originally "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her") was first published in Joseph Klug's (PHH 126) Geistliche Lieder (1535) in fifteen stanzas. Luther intended that stanzas 1-7 be sung by a man dressed as an angel and stanzas 8-15 by children.

As the basis for his first stanza, Luther revised the old folk song "Aus Fremden Landenkomm ich hier." Also called a "garland" song, "Aus Fremden" was used traditionally as a chorus in a game of riddles that involved the taking of garlands if a riddle was not solved.

The English translation is primarily the work of Catherine Winkworth (PHH 194), from her Lyra Germanica (1855). However, numerous hymnal editors have revised her translation. From the original fifteen stanzas the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee chose to include five-the familiar narrative stanzas based on Luke 2:10-14.

Stanzas 1-4 contain the angels' words to the shepherds. Stanza 5 is the angel chorus (Luke 2:14), which we all sing as we share in the shepherds' and angels' joy. (For a similar narrative Christmas hymn on the same biblical text, see 215.)

Liturgical Use:
Christmas Day worship service; Christmas festival of lessons and carols, especially with the dramatic performance style Luther intended (suggested above); church school programs.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Tune

VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

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Timeline

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Instances

Instances (1 - 24 of 24)Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreFlexScoreAudioPage Scan
A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #226
Ambassador Hymnal: for Lutheran worship #27
Celebrating Grace Hymnal #128TextPage Scan
Chalice Hymnal #146
Christian Worship: a Lutheran hymnal #38Text
Common Praise (1998) #133
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #123TextPage Scan
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #124TextPage Scan
Evangelical Lutheran Worship #268Audio
Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #111Text InfoAudio
Hymnal 1982: according to the use of the Episcopal Church #80
Hymnal: A Worship Book #205
Hymns and Psalms: a Methodist and ecumenical hymn book #100
Hymns of Faith #132TextPage Scan
Lutheran Service Book #358TextPage Scan
Presbyterian Hymnal: hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs #54Page Scan
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #339Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudio
Singing the New Testament #9Text
Small Church Music #2326Audio
The Covenant Hymnal: a worshipbook #161
The Cyber Hymnal #1630TextScoreAudio
The New Century Hymnal #130
Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #220TextPage Scan
Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of The United Church of Canada #72
Include 99 pre-1979 instances
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