This volume contains a large selection from Paul Gerhardt's "Spiritual
Songs." Every piece included is given in full, and is rendered into the
metre of the original. A few of the following translations have appeared
at various times during the last three years in different periodicals.
They have been revised for this volume. Several of the hymns have been
beautifully translated by others; and had the Translator been compiling a
volume composed of selections from various authors, this might have
formed a strong reason for not doing them again, but to have omitted them
from a volume like the present would have been to give a selection from
Gerhardt without some of his most celebrated productions; besides, in the
other collections where they appear they are not all given in full, nor
are they always rendered into the metre of the original, save in those
published with the music attached. As far as the Translator is aware, the
greater number of the following songs have never appeared in an English
dress before.
Every one who has reflected on the subject, or attempted metrical
translation, knows that literality is rarely attainable, that a certain
measure of freedom must be used. The Translator has, however, striven to
maintain fidelity to the sense of the original, and has occasionally
somewhat sacrificed euphony to fidelity.
It is not to be expected that the people's poet of one nation and of a
former age will become, through translation, the people's poet of another
nation in a later generation. Individual translations may win for
themselves a place side by side with the favourite songs of native
growth. Instances of this will occur to every one familiar with our
hymnology; but this can hardly happen in many cases. The translations on
the principle of this volume may neither be uninteresting nor unedifying
on that account, and it may be permitted to the Translator to trust that
Paul Gerhardt in his present dress may be found stimulating and
refreshing to many. Gerhardt was peculiarly a son of consolation. The
Translator has found him so in the hour of trial, and he will feel repaid
if he should become the cup-bearer of the rich wine of consolation
contained in the hymns of the staunch old German Lutheran to any English
Christian readers "who may be in any wise afflicted."
The work of translation has been a labour of love. It has been the
recreation of leisure hours from graver duties, and occasionally the
occupation of days of unwilling, but unavoidable, total or partial
freedom from professional engagements.
The edition used in this translation was Wackernagel's "Paulus Gerhardt's
Geistliche Lieder getreu nach der bei seinen Lebzeiten erschienenen
Ausgabe wiederabgedrückt. Neue Auflage, in Taschenformat."--Stuttgart,
Verlag von Samuel Gottlieb Liesching, 1855. This edition has been
followed in the classification and titles both of the sections and hymns.
The principal sources whence the materials for the biographical sketch
have been drawn are "Paul Gerhardt's Geistliche Andachten, &c., mit
Anmerkungen, einer Geschichtlichen Einleitung und Urkunden herausgegaben,
von Otto Schultze."--Berlin, 1842. "Paul Gerhardt, nach seinem Leben und
Wirken, aus zum Theile ungedrückten Nachrichten dargestellt," von E. G.
Roth, Pastor Primarius zu Luebben in der Niederlausitz.--Leipzig, 1829.
Feustking, Langbecker, Herzog, and others were also read, or more or less
consulted.