Scripture Verse

His favor is as dew upon the grass. Proverbs 19:12

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

Words: Jo­hann Cam­pan­us, Od­a­rum Sa­cra­rum, Li­ber Pos­ter­i­or (Prague: 1612) (Ro­ran­do coeli de­flu­ant). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Ger­man by Jo­hann Franck in Prax­is Pi­eta­tis Me­li­ca, by Jo­hann Crü­ger, 1653 (Ihr Him­mel tröp­felt Tau in Eil’) & from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca (Lon­don & New York: George Newnes & Charles Scrib­ner’s Sons, 1855), page 201.

Music: Vom Him­mel hoch, from Geist­liche Lied­er, by Val­en­tin Schu­mann (Leip­zig, Ger­ma­ny: 1539). Har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Cam­pa­nus or Franck (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Johann S. Bach (1685–1750)

Lyrics

Ye heav’ns, O haste your dews to shed,
Ye clouds, rain glad­ness on our head,
Thou earth, be­hold the time of grace,
And blos­som forth in right­eous­ness!

O liv­ing Sun, with joy break forth,
And pierce the gloomy clefts of earth;
Behold, the mount­ains melt away
Like wax be­neath Thine ar­dent ray!

O Life-dew of the church­es, come,
And bid this arid des­ert bloom!
The sor­rows of Thy peo­ple see,
And take our hu­man flesh on Thee.

Refresh the parched and droop­ing mind,
The brok­en limb in mer­cy bind,
Us sin­ners from our guilt re­lease,
And fill us with Thy hea­ven­ly peace.

O won­der! night no more is night!
Comes then at last the longed-for light?
Ah yes, Thou shin­est, O true Sun,
In whom are God and man made one!