Wilt thou, O man, live happily

Representative Text

1 Wilt thou, O man, live happily,
And dwell with God eternally?
The ten commandments keep, for thus
Our God Himself biddeth us.
Have mercy, Lord!

2 I am thy Lord and God! take heed
No other gods doth thee mislead;
Thy heart shall trust alone in me,
Thou shalt my own kingdom be.
Have mercy, Lord!

3 Honor my name in word and deed,
And call on me in time of need;
Hallow the Sabbath, that I may
Work in thy heart on that day.
Have mercy, Lord!

4 Obedient always, next to me,
To father and to mother be;
Kill no man, but to wrath be slow;
Be true to thy marriage vow.
Have mercy, Lord!

5 Steal not, nor do thy neighbor wrong
By bearing witness with false tongue;
Thy neighbor's wife desire thou not,
Nor grudge him aught he hath got.
Have mercy, Lord!

Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #392

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 >

Translator: Richard Massie

Massie, Richard, eldest son of the Rev. R. Massie, of Goddington, Cheshire, and Rector of Eccleston, was born at Chester, June 18, 1800, and resides at Pulford Hall, Coddington. Mr. Massie published a translation of Martin Luther’s Spiritual Songs, London, 1854. His Lyra Domestica, 1st series, London, 1860, contains translations of the 1st Series of Spitta's Psalter und Harfe. In 1864 he published vol. ii., containing translations of Spitta's 2nd Series, together with an Appendix of translations of German hymns by various authors. He also contributed many translations of German hymns to Mercer's Church Psalter & Hymn Book; to Reid's British Herald; to the Day of Rest, &c. He died Mar. 11,1887. -- John Julian, Di… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Wilt thou, O man, live happily
Original Language: German
Author: Martin Luther
Translator: Richard Massie
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

OLD HUNDREDTH

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list below. According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Old 100th first appeared in the Genevan Psalter, and "the first half of the tune contains phrases which may ha…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 5 of 5)
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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #392

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #173

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #205

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Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #205

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a205

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