O Thou essential Word

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O Thou essential Word

Author: Laurentius Laurenti (1700); Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1855)
Published in 18 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 O Thou Essential Word,
Who wast from the beginning
With God, for Thou wast God;
Thou hope of all the sinning,
Sent down to save our race,
Most welcome, Lord, Thou art,
Redeemer, Fount of grace,
To this my longing heart.

2 Come, self-existent Word,
And speak Thou in my spirit!
The soul where Thou art heard
Doth endless peace inherit.
Thou Light that lightenest all,
Abide through faith in me,
Nor let me from Thee fall,
And seek no guide but Thee.

3 Ah! what hath stirred Thy heart,
What cry hath mounted thither,
And reached Thy heavenly throne,
And drawn Thee, Savior, hither?
It was Thy wondrous love,
And my most utter need,
Made Thy compassions move,
Stronger than death indeed.

4 Then let me give my heart
To Him who loved me, wholly;
And live, while here I dwell,
To show His praises solely:
Yes, Jesus, form anew
This stony heart of mine,
Make it till death still true
To Thee, forever Thine.

5 Let naught be left within
But what Thy hand hath planted;
Root out the weeds of sin,
And quell the foe who haunted
My soul, and sowed the tares;
From Thee comes nothing ill,
O save me from his snares,
Make plain my pathway still.

6 Thou art the Life, O Lord,
And Thou its Light art only!
Let not Thy blessed rays
Still leave me dark and lonely.
Star of the East, arise!
Drive all my clouds away,
Till earth’s dim twilight dies
Into the perfect day.

Source: Evangelical Lutheran hymnal: with music #275

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Author: Laurentius Laurenti

Laurenti, Laurentius, son of Herr Lorenz, or Laurenti, a burgess of Husum, in Schleswig, was born at Husum, June 8, 1660. He entered the University of Rostock in 1681, and after a year and a half spent there, went to Kiel to study music. In 1684 he was appointed cantor and director of the music at the cathedral church at Bremen. He died at Bremen, May 29, 1722 (Koch, iv. 281; Rotermund's continuation of Jöcher's Gelehrten-Lexicon, iii. 1405, &c). Laurenti was one of the best hymn-writers of the Pietistic school. His hymns are founded on the Gospels for Sundays and Festivals, and they draw out the bearing on the Christian life of the leading thoughts therein contained. They are of noble simplicity; are Scriptural, fervent, and often of genu… 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 >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	O Thou essential Word
German Title:	Du wesentliches Wort
Author:	Laurentius Laurenti (1700)
Translator:	Catherine Winkworth (1855)
Meter:	6.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

[O Gott, du frommer Gott] (33654)

Cited in Johannes Zahn, Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder, vol. 3 (Gütersloh: C. Bertelsmann, 1893), no. 5148. See also vol. 6, no. 804. For a variant of this tune, see also MUNICH.

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LAURENTI

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