O Jesu, King of Glory!

Representative Text

1 O Jesus, King of glory,
Both David's Lord and Son!
Your rule endures forever;
In heaven is Your throne.
Help that in earth's dominions,
From pole to farthest pole,
Your reign may spread salvation
To each benighted soul.

2 The eastern Magi, coming
Their gifts of love to bring,
Bear witness to Your glory
And worship You, their King.
To You the star is pointing
And the prophetic Word;
So joyously we hail You:
Our Savior and our Lord.

3 You are a mighty monarch,
As by Your Word is told,
And yet You care but little
For earthly goods or gold.
You do not come displaying
Your power and renown.
You dwell in no high castle;
You wear no jeweled crown.

4 Oh, look on me with pity
Though I am weak and poor;
Admit me to Your kingdom
To dwell there, blest and sure.
I pray, Lord, guide and keep me
Safe from my bitter foes,
From sin and death and Satan;
Free me from all my woes.

5 Then let Your Word within me
Shine as the fairest star;
Keep sin and all false doctrine
Forever from me far.
Help me confess You truly
And with all Christendom
Here hail You King and Savior
And in the world to come.

Source: Worship Supplement 2000 #718

Author: Martin Behm

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 >

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: O Jesus, King of Glory, Our Sovereign and our Friend
Title: O Jesu, King of Glory!
German Title: O König aller Ehren
Author: Martin Behm (1606)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

O König aller Ehren. [Epiphany.] Founded on St. Matthew ii., and first published 1606 as above, in 6 stanzas of 8 lines. Thence in Wackernagel, v. p. 210, Noldeke, 1857, p. 31, and the Unverfälschter Liedesegen, 1851, No. 79. The translations in common use are:—

    1. O King of Glory, David's Son. A double C. M. version of stanzas i., ii., v., vi. by Miss Winkworth in her Lyra Germanica, 2nd Series, 1858, p. 20, and thence in Dr. Pagenstecher's Collection, 1864, No. 33. Her second translation:—
    2. O Jesu, King of Glory, No. 37 in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, is the above version rewritten to the original metre. In the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880, No. 54, with translations of stanzas iii., iv. added.

-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

ST. THEODULPH (Teschner)

Now often named ST. THEODULPH because of its association with this text, the tune is also known, especially in organ literature, as VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN. It was composed by Melchior Teschner (b. Fraustadt [now Wschowa, Poland], Silesia, 1584; d. Oberpritschen, near Fraustadt, 1635) for "Valet wi…

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KINGSFOLD

Thought by some scholars to date back to the Middle Ages, KINGSFOLD is a folk tune set to a variety of texts in England and Ireland. The tune was published in English Country Songs [sic: English County Songs] (1893), an anthology compiled by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland. After having…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #5025
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The Cyber Hymnal #5042
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 27 of 27)
TextPage Scan

Chorale Book for England, The #37

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d327

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #51

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #179

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #54

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a54

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d253

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #67

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools. 3rd ed. #d216

Page Scan

Hymnal for Evangelical Lutheran Missions #35

Page Scan

Lyra Germanica #S2-8

Sunday School Hymnal #d298

The Concordia Hymnal #d268

The Concordia Hymnal. Rev. #d270

The Pioneer Hymnal #d187

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) #d562

Page Scan

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) (2nd ed) #686a

The Selah Song Book. Word ed. #d277

The Sunday School Hymnal #d144

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5042

TextPage Scan

American Lutheran Hymnal #372

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #54

Text

Christian Worship (1993) #94

Text

Lutheran Worship #79

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5025

TextPage Scan

The Lutheran Hymnal #130

Text

Worship Supplement 2000 #718

Exclude 22 pre-1979 instances
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