1 O blessed, holy Trinity,
Divine, eternal Unity,
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
This day Your name be uppermost.
2 My soul and body keep from harm,
And over all extend Your arm;
Let Satan cause me no distress
Nor bring me shame and wretchedness.
3 The Father's love shield me this day;
The Son's pure wisdom cheer my way;
The Holy Spirit's joy and light
Drive from my heart the shades of night.
4 My Maker, hold me in Your hand;
O Christ, forgiven let me stand;
Blest Comforter, do not depart;
With faith and love enrich my heart.
5 Lord, bless and keep me as Your own;
Lord, look in kindness from Your throne;
Lord, shine unfailing peace on me
By grace surrounded; set me free.
Source: Lutheran Service Book #876
Behm, Martin, son of Hans Behm [Bohme, Boehm, Behemb, Behem, Boheim, Bohemus or Bohemius], town-overseer of Lauban in Silesia, was born at Lauban, Sept. 16, 1557. During a protracted famine, 1574, Dr. Paul Fabricius, royal physician at Vienna, a distant kinsman, took him to Vienna, where he acted as a private tutor for two years, and then went to Strassburg, where, from Johann Sturm, Rector of the newly founded University, he received much kindness. Returning home at his mother's request after his father's death, May, 1580, he was, at Easter, 1581, appointed assistant in the Town School, and on Sept. 20, ordained diaconus of the Holy Trinity Church. After his senior had been promoted to Breslau the Town Council kept the post nominally vacan… Go to person page >| First Line: | O holy blessed trinity |
| Title: | O Blessed Holy Trinity |
| German Title: | O heilige Dreifaltigkeit |
| Translator: | Conrad Herman Louis Schuette |
| Author: | Martin Behm |
| Meter: | 8.8.8.8 |
| Language: | English |
| Copyright: | Public Domain |
O Heilige Dreifaltigkeit. [Morning.] First published in his Kriegesman, Leipzig, 1593, in 7 stanzas of unequal length, repeated in 1608, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. Both forms are in Wackernagel, v. p. 197; and the second in Noldeke, 1857, p. 53; and, omitting stanzas vi.-viii., as No. 1126 in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder, ed. 1863. In 1593 it was entitled "The ancient Sancta Trinitas et adoranda (Jnitas in German)" but it is rather a versification of the Prayer for Wednesday evening in J. Habermann's Gebet Buck (Wittenberg, 1567). The translations in common use, both of the second form, are:—
2. O holy, blessed Trinity, Divine. A good translation of stanzas i.-v. by Dr. C. H. L. Schuette, as No. 295 in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880.
-- Excerpt from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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