Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier

History#

The Lutheran theologian and minister Paul Gerhardt wrote the text of 15 stanzas. It was first published in the fifth edition of Johann Crüger’s hymnal Praxis pietatis melica in 1653. and Catholic hymnals (Gotteslob). It is also part of several other hymnals and song books.

Text#

The text of the original stanzas 1, 3, 4 and 5 is given, as in the Protestant and Catholic hymnals: Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier, o Jesu, du mein Leben; ich komme, bring und schenke dir, was du mir hast gegeben. Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn, Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin und laß dir’s wohlgefallen. Da ich noch nicht geboren war, da bist du mir geboren und hast mich dir zu eigen gar, eh ich dich kannt, erkoren. Eh ich durch deine Hand gemacht, da hast du schon bei dir bedacht, wie du mein wolltest werden. Ich lag in tiefster Todesnacht, du warest meine Sonne, die Sonne, die mir zugebracht Licht, Leben, Freud und Wonne. O Sonne, die das werte Licht des Glaubens in mir zugericht’, wie schön sind deine Strahlen! Ich sehe dich mit Freuden an und kann mich nicht satt sehen; und weil ich nun nichts weiter kann, bleib ich anbetend stehen. O daß mein Sinn ein Abgrund wär und meine Seel ein weites Meer, daß ich dich möchte fassen! I stand before Thy manger fair, My Jesus, Life from heaven! I come, and unto Thee I bear What Thou to me hast given. Receive it, for ’tis mind and soul, Heart, spirit, strength—receive it all, And deign to let it please Thee. When I as yet had not been born, Then hadst Thou been born for me And chosen me to be Thine own, Thy mercy shedding o’er me. Before I by Thy hand was made, Thou hadst the plan in order laid, How Thou Thyself shouldst give me. I lay still in death’s deepest night, Till Thou, my Sun, arising, Didst bring joy, pleasure, life, and light, My wakened soul surprising. O Sun, who dost so graciously Cause faith’s good light to dawn in me, How lovely is Thy radiance! With rapture do I gaze on Thee, Nor can enough adore Thee, Pow’r more to do is not in me, I’ll praise and bow before Thee. Oh that my mind were an abyss, My soul a sea, wide, bottomless, That so I might embrace Thee.

Tunes and settings#

Johannes Zahn listed eight hymn tunes which were specifically composed for "" and which originated or were first published between 1667 and 1883 (Zahn 4659–4666). One of these melodies, Zahn 4663, was first published as No. 195 in Schemellis Gesangbuch in 1736. Luther composed two hymn tunes for “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein”: the Praxis pietatis melica of 1653 specifies the second of these, the one that was published in the Klugsches Gesangbuch, as melody for Gerhardt’s text. The hymn was published with the “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen” tune in the Gotteslob of 1975. In the Gotteslob of 2013 it was published with the melody from Schemellis Gesangbuch as GL 256 in the common section, with a note about the alternative melody in GL 258, “Lobpreiset all zu dieser Zeit” that also uses Luther’s tune for “Nun freut euch”. The older tune has been retained in regional sections, for example GL 758 in the Gotteslob of the Diocese of Limburg.

“Nun freut euch, lieben Christen” melody#

The first print gives the melody of “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen”, a melody by Martin Luther which was also used for “Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit” (EG 149). Inserted in the narration of the Three Kings, the first stanza refers to them bringing gold, incense and myrrh, thus offering what the singer has to give, spirit and mind, heart, soul and courage (“mein Geist und Sinn, Herz, Seel und Mut”).

Melody in Schemellis Gesangbuch#

In 1736, Georg Christian Schemelli published in Leipzig a Musicalisches Gesang-Buch (Musical song book). Bach probably The setting, known as , includes, apart from the hymn tune, a figured bass accompaniment. \header arranger = “after Schemelli’s Gesangbuch” tagline = ##f \layout indent = 0 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \context \Score \remove “Bar_number_engraver” \context \Voice \remove “Dynamic_engraver” global = \key c \minor \time 2/2 \partial 4 soprano = \relative c \global \autoBeamOff \set Staff.midiPanPosition = -0.5 \set midiInstrument = “flute” \tempo 4=96 \repeat volta 2 g4 c d es c bes4. as8 g4\fermata \breathe bes es,4. d8 es4 f g2 g4 bes es bes c bes as4. bes8 g4\fermata \breathe bes es bes c bes as4. bes8 g4\fermata \breathe g a b \tempo 4=88 c8 es d c b2 \tempo 4=40 c4\fermata \bar " ." alto = \relative c’ \global \autoBeamOff \set Staff.midiPanPosition = -1 \set midiInstrument = “flute” \repeat volta 2 es4 es g g es f (es8) f es4 es c4. d8 c4 d8 c d2 d4 d g bes as g f4. f8 g4 g as g as g c, (f) es es f g g f8 d d2 es4 \bar " ." tenor = \relative c’ \global \autoBeamOff \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 0.5 \set midiInstrument = “harpsichord” \repeat volta 2 c4 g g es g bes8 d bes bes bes4 g g8 c~ c f\pp g4 f8 c \mf c2 b4 bes bes es es es c (bes8) d bes4 bes8 d es 4 es c8 d es4 es (d) bes c c d g, as g~ g g4 \bar " ." bass = \relative c \global \autoBeamOff \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 1 \set midiInstrument = “haprsichord” \repeat volta 2 c8\ppp d es d c b c d es c d bes c d es4 es8 d c8 g’ c bes as g as4 g2 g,4 g'8 f es f g es as4. g8 f es d bes es4 es8 d c d es d es f g es f4 (d) es c f8 es f d es4 f g (g,) c \bar " ." verse = \lyricmode Ich steh an dei – ner Krip – pen hier, o Je – su – lein, mein Le – ben; Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn, Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm al – les hin und lass dirs wohl – ge – fal – len. verseR = \lyricmode ich ste – he, bring und schen – ke dir, was du mir hast ge – ge – ben. \score \new ChoirStaff > \new Staff = “left” > » \layout \score \unfoldRepeats > \midi \context \Score midiChannelMapping = #‘instrument \context \Staff \remove “Staff_performer” \context \Voice \consists “Staff_performer”

See also#

• List of Christmas carols

Sources#

• • RISM Catalogue description; Facsimile: 1077430 Liturg. 1372 o at Bavarian State Library. *

External links#

• • “Wortreich vor dem Herrn: ‘Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier, BR-Klassik, Mittagsmusik extra, 26 December 2014 (in German)