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Holy Spirit, once again

Representative Text

Holy Spirit, once again
Come, Thou true Eternal God!
Nor Thy pow'r descend in vain,
Make us ever Thine abode;
So shall Spirit, joy, and light
Dwell in us, where all was night.

Guide us, Lord, from day to day,
Keep us in the paths of grace,
Clear all hindrances away
That might foil us in the race!
When we stumble hear our call,
Work repentance for our fall.

Witness our hearts that God
Counts us children through His Son,
That our Father's gentle rod
Smites us for our good alone;
So when tried, perplex'd, distrest,
In His love we still may rest.

Quicken us to seek His face
Freely, with a trusting heart,
In our prayers oh breathe Thy grace,
Go with us when we depart;
So shall our requests be heard,
And our faith to joy be stirr'd.

Lord, preserve us in the faith,
Suffer nought to drive us thence,
Neither Satan, scorn, nor death;
Be our God and our defence;
Though the flesh resist Thy will,
Let Thy word be stronger still,

And at last when we must die,
Oh assure the sinking heart
Of the glorious realm on high
Where Thou healest every smart,
Of the joys unsieakable
Where our God would have us dwell.



Source: Chorale Book for England, The #74

Author: Joachim Neander

Neander, Joachim, was born at Bremen, in 1650, as the eldest child of the marriage of Johann Joachim Neander and Catharina Knipping, which took place on Sept. 18, 1649, the father being then master of the Third Form in the Paedagogium at Bremen. The family name was originally Neumann (Newman) or Niemann, but the grandfather of the poet had assumed the Greek form of the name, i.e. Neander. After passing through the Paedagogium he entered himself as a student at the Gymnasium illustre (Academic Gymnasium) of Bremen in Oct. 1666. German student life in the 17th century was anything but refined, and Neander seems to have been as riotous and as fond of questionable pleasures as most of his fellows. In July 1670, Theodore Under-Eyck came to Breme… 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: Holy Spirit, once again
German Title: Komm, O Komm, du Geist des Lebens
Author: Joachim Neander (1679)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

ST. PETERSBURG

Dmitri Stephanovich Bortnianski (b. Gloukoff, Ukraine, 1751; d. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1825) was a Russian composer of church music, operas, and instrumental music. His tune ST. PETERSBURG (also known as RUSSIAN HYMN) was first published in J. H. Tscherlitzky's Choralbuch (1825). The tune is suppo…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
TextPage Scan

Chorale Book for England, The #74

Page Scan

Christian Chorals #110

Page Scan

Lyra Germanica #S2-27

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