How beautiful the morning star shines

“How beautifully the morning star shines”, first edition, 1599

How beautifully the morning star shines (also How beautifully the morning star shines ) is a chorale by Philipp Nicolai from 1597. Nicolai wrote the text and melody.

shape

The stanza scheme is an original creation by Nicolai. The stanzas are divided into two times two octosyllables , followed by a seven- syllable , followed in ascending order by two two- syllables , three four-syllables and a final eight-syllable. Later interpreters have pointed out several times that the stanzas in the centered print result in the image of a chalice , which can be understood as a symbol of the sacrament motif of the fourth stanza. However, the first print does not use this printing form, so it is not certain whether this effect was intended by Nicolai.

The stanzas are formed according to a consistent scheme: the representation of a certain image in the first six lines of each stanza is followed by an echo in initially very short, then increasing rhymes, which is concluded by a hymn-like sentence.

content

Based on Ps 45  LUT , the Song of Songs and other biblical images, the chant is designed as a mystical bride song . The morning star as an image for Jesus is encountered in Rev 22,16  LUT : I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to the churches. I am the root of the family David, the bright morning star. The chorale unfolds the loving devotion to the Christ bridegroom, the "crown" (this forms the framework of the following with str. 2 + 7) of the apocalypse in a physical piety ( you have possessed my heart (str. 1). This is called milk and honey ... heavenly incorporates manna (Str. 2), pours into the lovingly wounded heart (Str. 3) and represents the complete body to which the lyrical I (the believer) strives to belong as a "rib" (Str. 3) The Lord casts his enlightening, friendly look at man, who in turn strives to receive him in word and sacrament ( your body and blood ) (Str. 4). The joy of praise for the spousal union (Str. 5) flows into the music that is in String play, song, dance and triumphant jubilation are articulated (Str. 6), and come to an end with the prospect of the end-time perfection ( Rev. 22.20  LUT , Str. 7).

text

Philipp Nicolai   How beautifully shines the morning star / Full of grace and truth from the LORD /     Sweet root Jesse?   You son Dauid / out of Jacob's tribe / my king and my bridegroom /     have possessed my   heart /   lovely / kind /   beautiful and wonderful /   great and honest / rich   of gifts / high and very splendid exalted. II.   Ey my pearl / You dear crown / Truth of God and Mary's son /     A high-born king /   My     heart is called a lilium , your sweet Euangelium , is nothing but milk and honey /   Ey my little   flower /   Hosanna /   Heavenly manna /   We eat / I can't forget yours. III.   Gossip very deeply into my heart / You bright jasper and ruby ​​/     The flame of your love.   And rejoice / that I still stay with your chosen body     A living rib /   After you /   I am /   Gratiosa   cœli pink,   sick and smoldering My heart / wounded by love. IIII.   From God I will be pleased / When you     look at me kindly with your little friends /   O LORD Jesus my dearest good / Your word / your spirit / your body and blood /     refresh me inwardly.   Take me /   kindly / In   your arms /   That I will be warm   by grace / At your word I am invited. V.   LORD God Father / my strong hero / you have     loved me forever / for the world / in your son /   your son has entrusted me to him / he is my treasure / I am his bride /     very much rejoiced in him.   Eya /   Eya /   Heavenly life /   he will give   me up there / My heart shall praise him forever. VI.   Forces the Sayten into Cythara. And let the sweet Musica,     Gantz resound joyfully:   That I may grow my     love with Jesus / The beautiful bridegroom .   Sing /   Springet /   jubilieret /   triumphieret /   Danckt the MEN / Great is the King of glory. VII.   How am I so heartily happy / That my darling is the A and O /     The beginning / and the end:   He'll give me his prey / Throwing up into the Parade /     Thess I knock on the hands.   Amen /   Amen /   Come on you beautiful   FrewdenKrone /   Don't stay long / I wait for you with longing.

Johann Adolf Schlegel , 1813 How wonderfully the morning star shines! O what a splendor goes up from the Lord! Who should be not paying attention? The splendor of God, who breaks through the night, you bring light into dark souls that yearn for the truth. Your word, Jesus, is full of clarity, leads to truth and to life. Who can lift you up enough? 2. You, here my consolation and there my reward, Son of God, and the Son of man, King of heaven, I praise you with all my heart. If I have your salvation, the happiness of the earth touches me little. I come to you Truly no one comforts himself in vain when he seeks you, Lord of Life. 3. Only through you can I be happy. Cast the flame of your love deep into my soul ! Who would I be if in holiness I did not remain faithful to the trial for a short time , reconciler? Oh! love you help me weak! Help me to watch, fight, wrestle, swing me strong in you to God! 4. From God a light of joy streams into me, the hope that one day I shall see your face . O sweet look into that rest, you are full of wonderful salvation, full of bliss, full of delight! Do you console me, blessing, that I will experience heavenly joys when I am weak on earth . 5. O you who created and who sustain! You loved me forever before the world in your son. Your son united me with you, he is my brother and my friend, loved until death. Praise you, father! Oh, I'm falling down, all thanks slur in the dust, know, and feel who I believe in. 6. To him, who conquered death and grave, joyful hymns of praise must ring out every day, to the lamb who is slain, to the friend who never forgets us, for glory and good pleasure. Tönet, Tönet, cheering songs, resounds again, that the earth will full of his praise! 7. How happy I am, Jesus Christ, that you are the first and last, the beginning and the end! Once, when he praises you in death, and now, I command my spirit, Lord, Lord, into your hands! Eternally I shall Lord, praise you, once raised to life, which is your steadfast love give me.

Albert Knapp , 1832 How beautifully the morning star shines for us, full of grace and truth from the Lord . O good shepherd, David's son, my king on the heavenly throne, you have embraced my heart: lovely, friendly, beautiful and splendid, great and mighty, abundant in gifts, high and wonderfully exalted. 2. O jewel that no jewel is like, Son of God, whom no praise attains, given to us by the Father! My heart melts in your glory; Your sweet gospel is all spirit and life. You, you I will hold forever , never leave; Bread of life, I do not desire your in vain. 3. Pour very deep into my heart, You divine brilliance and heavenly shine , The flames of your love; And strengthen me so that I will stay forever, O Lord, a member of your body in fresh instincts of life! After you Wallt me my mind of, eternal goodness, until it finds you, dess inflamed me love. 4. A light of joy comes to me from God, When your holy face looks at me with kindness. O Lord Jesus, my dearest treasure! Your word, your spirit, your body and blood refresh me inside. Take me in your arms in a friendly manner! I warm only by grace; At your word I come loaded. 5. Lord God the Father, you mighty hero! You loved me forever before the world In your son; Your son has trusted me; My heart looks at him with joy, in which nothing troubles me. Praise you! Heal me! Heavenly life He will give Me up there; My heart shall praise him forever. 6. Play our God with the sound of strings, And let the sweetest song ring out with joy! I want to wallow in constant love with my Jesus today and tomorrow and forever ! Sing, ring, jubilate, triumph! Thank the Lord, Him, the King of all honors! 7. How happy I am, Lord Jesus Christ, That you are the first and the last, The beginning and the end! You, who gave his life for me, will take me to your paradise one day; I'll take your hands on it. Amen, amen! Come, oh sun, my bliss, don't stay long so that I will embrace you forever!

Evangelical hymn book How beautifully shines the morning star full of grace and truth from the Lord, the sweet root of Jesse. You son of David of Jacob's tribe, my king and my bridegroom, have possessed my heart; lovely, kind, beautiful and glorious, tall and honest, rich in gifts, high and very splendidly sublime. 2. Oh my pearl, you dear Crown, true ‛Son of God and Mary, a high-born King! My heart calls you a heavenly flower; your sweet gospel is milk and honey. Oh my little flower, Hosanna! Heavenly manna that we eat, I can't forget yours. 3. Pour very deep into the heart, you shining jewel, noble stone, with the flame of your love, so that I, O Lord, remain a limb on your chosen body, a branch on your trunk. After you me boils my spirit, ewge goodness, until it finds the love you, inflamed me. 4. From God I feel joyful when you look at me with your very friendly eyes . Lord Jesus, you my dearest good, your word, your spirit, your body and blood refresh me inwardly. Take me kindly in your arms and have mercy; on your word I come loaded. 5. Lord God the Father, my mighty hero, you loved me in your Son forever before the world . Your son trusted me himself, he is my treasure, I his bride, so nothing troubles me. Eia, eia, heavenly life he will give me up there; my heart shall praise him forever. 6. Force the strings into Cythara and let the sweet music ring out with joy so that I may wallow in constant love with Infant Jesus, my beautiful bridegroom . Sing, jump, cheer, triumph, thank the Lord; great is the King of Honor. 7. How happy I am that my darling is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He'll take me into the Paradeis at his price ; I knock it on the hands. Amen, amen, come, you beautiful crown of joy, don't stay long; I wait for yours with longing.

Mennonite hymn book How beautifully the morning star shines full of grace and truth from the Lord, rising out of Judah. O good shepherd, son of David, my king on the mercy seat, have embraced my heart. Lovely, friendly, beautiful and magnificent, tall and powerful, rich in gifts, high and wonderfully sublime. 2. O pour deep into the heart, you divine brilliance and heavenly light, the flame of your love. Penetrate me so that I remain forever, O Lord, a member of your body in a fresh instinct for life. After you , my heart stands before me , eternal goodness, until it finds you, the love that ignites me 3. From God I get a glow of joy when you look at me with your very friendly eyes . Lord Jesus, you my dearest good, your word, your spirit, your body and blood refresh me inwardly. Take me kindly into the arms and have mercy you in grace; on your word I come loaded. 4. Play the sound of strings to our God and let the loveliest song ring out with joy. I want to wallow in constant love with my Jesus Christ, who is my everything to me . Sing, jump, cheer, triumph, thank the gentleman. Great is the King of Honor. 5. How happy I am that Christ is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He'll take me into the Paradeis at his price ; I clap my hands. Amen, amen, come , oh sun, my bliss, do not delay long; I wait for yours with longing.

An ecumenical version developed in 1973 by the Working Group for Ecumenical Songs was only adopted in the Catholic Praise to God (GL 357; GL ^old 554) and in the Old Catholic hymn book " Taken" (E 463). In contrast, a separate revision, closer to Nicolai's original text, has been included in the Evangelical Hymnal (EG 70). This is why the versions in the hymn books are only partially marked as ecumenical (Sigel “(ö)”). The chorale can also be found in the Mennonite hymn book (MG 279).

Text editing

Like the melody, the distinctively structured text has undergone numerous adaptations, modifications and parodies to this day. Johann Adolf Schlegel's version is cited as an example of the moral-rationalistic reduction of this erotic-spiritual work of art . Further examples can be mentioned:

• How beautifully the Aeugelein shine, parody, 17th century
• How beautifully the wound star shines, Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf, 1735
• How does the morning star shine for us, Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, 1773
• How beautifully the morning star shines, Albert Knapp , 1832, No. 544 in the Württemberg edition of the Evangelical Hymnal.
• How beautifully the morning star shines for us, Burchardt Wiesenmayer, 1893

melody

The melody created by Nicolai adapts to the first text stanza. Their top notes meet the meaningful, emphatic, pictorial parts of the word. The length of the stanzas is loosened up by changing the rhythm , especially by the syncopated or three-bar rhythm of the third line of the tunnel . The change from the upbeat to the full-beat line beginning in the middle of the stanza is also effective .

Musical arrangements

Nicolai's free rhythmic melody has often been simplified in singing practice and in hymn books. The baroque and romantic arrangements are usually based on a four-four-bar version. Only the Evangelical Church Hymnbook (1950) returned to the original version.

Significant musical processing are the Choralkantate How beautiful the morning star, BWV 1 lights from Johann Sebastian Bach and Reger op. 40,1 Fantasy on the Chorale 'How beautiful' bright us the morning star " .

• Wilhelm Friedemann Bach wrote a cantata How beautifully the morning star shines (F 82).
• Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) implemented it in the chorale fantasy for organ How beautifully the morning star BuxWV 223 shines .
• Christian Geist (1640–1711) composed the text for soprano , two violins , viola da gamba and basso continuo .
• Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) wrote a chorale as part of his unfinished oratorio Christ .
• Niels Gade (1817–1890) and others wrote chorale preludes for organ with this title.

"The Kings", from: Christmas Carols Opus 8,3. The piano accompaniment represents the chorale.

The third Christmas carol The Kings of 1870 from Opus 8 by Peter Cornelius (1824–1874), which describes in three stanzas the appearance of the Three Wise Men at the Christmas crib in Bethlehem on the day of Epiphany , uses the chorale as a piano accompaniment to a completely independent song melody for solo voice .

Ernst Pepping (1901–1981) wrote a partita in 1933 on the chorale “How beautifully the morning star shines” . The first stanza is in the composition for string orchestra, Hale Bopp of Graham Waterhouse , by the Great Comet , sung was inspired in 1997 by a boy soprano.

In 2008 Naji Hakim composed How beautifully the morning star shines , variations for oboe (flute, violin) and organ.

In 2000, Torsten Laux recorded eleven of these works on an organ CD.

Translations

Translated into Danish “Af højheden oprunden er en morgenstjerne klar og skær…” by Hans Christensen Sthen (?) [Ie translator uncertain; 1544-1610; Pastor in Helsingør and Malmö {then Danish}], approx. 1600 [!]; edited by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig in 1835 and 1837; Taken into the Danish church hymn book Den Danske Salmebog , Copenhagen 1953, no. 87 (translator "Sthen" with question mark), and in: Den Danske Salmebog , Copenhagen 2002, no. 106 (translated from Sthen without question mark).

literature

• Hermann Kurzke: How beautifully does the morning star shine in: Hansjakob Becker u. a. (Ed.): Geistliches Wunderhorn. Great German hymns. 2nd, revised edition. CH Beck, Munich 2003, ISBN 978-3-406-48094-2 , pp. 146-153.
• Joachim Stalmann: 70 - How beautifully the morning star shines . In: Gerhard Hahn , Jürgen Henkys (Hrsg.): Liederkunde zum Evangelisches Gesangbuch . No. 4 . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2002, ISBN 3-525-50325-3 , pp. 42–52 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Web links

Commons : How beautifully the morning star shines  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: How beautifully the morning star shines  - sources and full texts

• Michael Fischer (2006) How beautifully the morning star shines ( memento from March 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ). In: Freiburg anthology - poetry and song. Digital documentation of lyrical short texts.
• How beautifully the morning star shines in the song project by Carus-Verlag and SWR2

Remarks

1. ↑ See Hermann Kurzke, in: Geistliches Wunderhorn , p. 148 ( limited preview in the Google book search).
2. ^ Collection of Christian songs for the church prayer of evangelical communities. First of all, that of Jauer. 2nd edition Breslau and Jauer n.d. [1. Ed. 1813], p. 126f. (No. 153)
3. ^ ^{A b} Albert Knapp: Evangelical treasure trove of songs for church and house. A collection of sacred songs. 2nd completely reworked edition. Cotta Stuttgart and Tübingen 1850, p. 781 ( digitized in the Google book search).
4. ↑ AÖL : "We rose wonderfully"
5. ↑ AÖL: "you hold my heart captive"
6. ↑ AÖL: "magnificent"
7. ↑ AÖL: "mighty"
8. ↑ AÖL: "wonderful"
9. ↑ AÖL: "You"
10. ↑ AÖL: "a king born high"
11. ↑ AÖL: "My gem you, my price and fame"
12. ↑ AÖL: "forever"
13. ↑ AÖL: "That's what I chose"
14. ↑ AÖL: "Lord, I am looking for you"
15. ↑ AÖL: "my"
16. ↑ AÖL: "the flame of your love"
17. ↑ AÖL: "and give that I am in your body,"
18. ↑ AÖL: "to the chosen vine, stay"
19. ↑ AÖL: "a branch in fresh shoot"
20. ↑ AÖL: "stands"
21. ↑ AÖL: "He has entrusted me completely"
22. ↑ AÖL: "He is now mine"
23. ↑ AÖL: " Eja , eja"
24. ↑ AÖL: "Tune the strings of the Kitara"
25. ↑ AÖL: "Jesus Christ"
26. ↑ AÖL: "the bridegroom of my heart"
27. ↑ AÖL: "now"
28. ↑ AÖL: "blow"
29. ↑ AÖL: "hem"
30. ↑ Virtuous virgins and boy journeyman time-distributor, that is: Newly increased, and from all fantastic, coarse, foul and clumsy songs, worldly song booklet [...], by Hilarium Lustig von Freuden-Thal. Printed in the present year, circa 1670
31. ^ Moravian hymn book. Christian chant book of the Evangelical Brethren from 1735 published for the third time and thoroughly revised. OO 1741. Part II. Annex I - XII.
32. ↑ Spiritual songs. First part. Copenhagen and Leipzig 1773, pp. 255–260.
33. ↑ Unadulterated song blessing. Hymnal for churches, schools and homes. 10th edition Berlin 1893, p. 325 f. (No. 477)
34. ↑ with the exception of the two melody tones on “Truth”, which, according to the first edition, should be a quarter
35. ↑ Partita on the chorale “How beautifully the morning star shines” . Ernst Pepping Society. 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
36. ↑ How beautifully the morning star shines . Schott Music. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
37. ↑ How beautifully the morning star shines, organ 70092 / Wergo ; Audio samples
38. ↑ Cf. Otto Holzapfel : Lied index: The older German-language popular song tradition ( online version on the Volksmusikarchiv homepage of the Upper Bavaria district ; in PDF format; ongoing updates) with further information.