Because I am Jesus' sheep
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Because I am Jesus' little sheep is the headline of a popular evangelical hymn . It goes back to a seven-verse sacred poem that Henriette Maria Luise von Hayn (1724–1782), a member and executive employee of the Moravian Brethren , who came from the Hessian nobility, gave a friend for her birthday on August 8, 1772. Melodies for this poem, of which only the first two and the last stanza were selected for worship, were created by Christian Gregor (1784), Johannes Herbst (before 1812) and Friedrich Silcher (1843) , among others . It was first published in 1778 in the hymn book published by Christian Gregor for the use of the evangelical brethren , where it was performed as a sacrament song. As a result of the awakening movement of the 19th century, in which Hayn's song was verifiably known and sung, it exceeded the confessional boundaries of the Moravian Brethren and was finally included in regional and free church hymn books, but no longer in the sacrament songs category. From the hymn book, the von Hayn song finally found its way into various collections of folk songs as well as into the curriculum for Protestant religious instruction . Numerous recordings have also contributed to the spread of the song. The first line of the song also became the title of printed and recorded compilations as well as religious children's books.
The high popularity meant that the song accompanied many generations of children, often into old age. It is mentioned in numerous biographies - including those of Hermann Hesse and Karl Barth .
background
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From Hayns song Because I'm Jesus' sheep originated in Herrnhut the founding of, Unitas Fratrum (German: Brethren ). Poetry and the singing of self-composed songs played an important role in the early days of the community , which is mainly due to Nikolaus von Zinzendorf , their founding father. The Herrnhuter Lieder had simple, easily catchy melodies and accompanied the everyday life of the members of the community. Among other things, people sang when greeting and saying goodbye to guests, on the occasion of small and large anniversaries, at work, when visiting the sick, on the death bed, at the liturgy and on the way home. The parishioners who were assigned to the night watch made sure that the hymn of praise did not fall silent even at night.
Zinzendorf repeatedly urged his parishioners to become active as a poet. He understood poetry as a kind of "heart pouring away from all poetological teachings and rules". In one word from Zinzendorf to the Jungfernchor, it says in this context:
“My sisters, it is very virgin to make songs. The maiden choir should provide us with the most important, most and most beautiful songs in our [hymn book] appendices. The daily dealings with the Man of Sorrows [...] should give you very nice and important thoughts, learn to write memories and sacred songs! "
The quality of the poems and songs was mainly measured by the following criteria: Do they have a biblical reference? Do they help to bring the biblical messages to life and to make them memorable and lead them to a deeper spiritual contact with Jesus Christ ?
The poems created against this background reflect some developments within the Moravian piety. This includes the so-called Seitenhöhlchen cult , which was founded by Renatus von Zinzendorf , the son of the aforementioned Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, but which later met with strong rejection in the Moravian Movement. In this cult, as in the Roman Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the central point was the wound on the side of Jesus. It was sung about in many songs in a manner of expression characterized by numerous diminutive forms. Echoes of the theme and language of this mystical piety movement can also be found in the song Because I Am Jesus' Sheep .
Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782) lived and worked in the spiritual environment described - from 1744 in Herrnhaag , the center of the Seitenhöhlchen cult, and from 1766 in Herrnhut, where she was the director of the single sisters ' choir until her death was.
Text, form and content
The well-handed down text of the von Hayn song, its form and its content refer to the sacred shepherd's poetry, which enjoyed great popularity in the Baroque period. The shepherd-sheep motif, borrowed from the 23rd Psalm and other Old Testament as well as New Testament texts, is the basis of many hymns, especially those that arose against the background of Pietism and the revival movement .
text
The following table shows the text of the poem written by Henriette von Hayn, its few variants and the biblical references. The three stanzas that can be found in the church hymn books are in italics below. The capital letters in bold at the beginning of each line establish the connection to the corresponding text variants (column III) as well as to the biblical references (column IV).
| verse | text | variants | Biblical references and echoes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Because I am Jesus' sheep |
D of me well to entertain white |
A ( Ps 23,1 EU ) The Lord is my shepherd […] |
| 2 |
A Under his gentle staff |
C fresh pasture every day |
A ( Ps 23,4 EU ): Your stick and staff comfort me. |
| 3 |
A My Merciful guides me |
C I want something to taste bitter where, |
D / E ( Rev 22,17 EU ): [The spirit and the bride speak:] Come! And whoever hears it, say: Come! And whoever thirsts, let him come; and whoever wants to take the water of life for free. |
| 4th |
A He has ordered me out into field |
[ In different publications |
B ( Joh 21,15 EU ): [Jesus to Peter:] Feed my lambs! |
| 5 |
A In the early and evening dew |
[ In different publications |
B ( Ps 23,2 EU ): He [the good shepherd] feeds me on a green meadow. |
| 6th |
A My little burden pushes me |
F his desire to work again . |
A - F ( Mt 11,28ff EU ): [Jesus to the people:] All of you who are troublesome and burdened come to me; I want to refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am meek and humble in heart; so you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is gentle and my burden is light. |
| 7th |
A Shall I not be happy now , |
A Should I because not be cheerful, |
C / D ( Joh 14,2f EU ): [Jesus to his disciples:] There are many apartments in my father's house. If it were not so, I wanted to say to you: I am going to prepare the place for you. And when I go to prepare the place for you, I will come again and take you to me, so that you may be where I am. |
shape
It is believed that Henriette von Hayn resorted to the form of "spiritual shepherd poetry ". This assumption is supported by the choice of a stanza form, which was often used in baroque shepherd songs and can be found repeatedly in Angelus Silesius ' collection Heilige Seelen-Lust or Geistliche Shepherd-Lieder as well as in the pietistic song poetry. The stanzas each consist of three pairs of rhymes with four-part trochaes . The first and third pair of rhymes end here on a stressed, the second on an unstressed syllable.
content
The 23rd Psalm, the well-known song of the Good Shepherd , was - with not insignificant exceptions - the inspiration for the creation of the text, which was originally written as an occasional poem. While King David , whom Psalm 23 names as his poet , confesses to YHWH , the God of Israel, the “sheep” in von Hayn's song sees Jesus Christ as his good shepherd. This christological reinterpretation can be found in many spiritual shepherds' songs. It has its justification in various New Testament texts that designate Jesus as a "good" or "great" shepherd and which Henriette von Hayn also partly processed in her song.
Just as the psalmist puts the words of the 23rd Psalm into the mouths of future prayers and thus makes them their own personal confession, so does Luise von Hayn. But while in the Old Testament shepherd's song talking about God turns into a conversation with him ( Ps 23.4 EU ), in all stanzas of von Hayn's poem the talk about the shepherd Jesus remains. However, he is not described in his divine position or in his being, but "rather functionally according to what he does for the well-being of the little sheep." In the last stanza, von Hayn goes beyond the last verse of the 23rd Psalm .
Chapter 10 of the Gospel of John , in which Jesus introduces himself as the “good shepherd”, is the second Bible text that Hayn used in her birthday poem. In the third, fifth and sixth lines of the first stanza the connection is made. The last line of the fourth stanza also refers to the mentioned pastoral chapter. The first and second lines of this stanza, however, are reminiscent of John 21. There the risen Jesus Christ entrusts his apostle Peter with the shepherd service: “Feed my lambs!” ( Jn 21.15 EU ).
The fact that the good shepherd also gives his sheep salt (third stanza, line 3) to arouse thirst has no evidence in the pastoral texts of the Bible. Von Hayn wants to express that "bitter" experiences in following Jesus also have their meaning. The “red wounds stream” is also not found in biblical texts. The expression, which probably originated from the days of the Seitenhöhlchen cult , describes the blood of Christ , of which the New Testament speaks in different ways and in different contexts. The Ebed Yahweh song in Isaiah 53 also sounds here: "[...] and through his wounds we are healed!" ( Isa 53,5 EU )
Only a few verses in the Jesus' sheep song tell of difficult times in following Jesus. The salt that the shepherd gives is only supposed to make you thirsty, and the burden that sometimes weighs on is only small (stanza 6); "The main tone is on healing, strengthening and security in following Jesus [...]." Anyone who is on the road with the Shepherd Jesus, whose life consists - as the poet claims in the seventh stanza - of "beautiful days". The earthly life course is therefore not (as is often the case in spiritual texts) understood as a walk through the valley of misery , but as a deposit and foretaste of the future salvation time. Hayn sketched this in two pictures - as home after a long hike (“finally carried home”) and as the lap of the good shepherd. Both with regard to earthly and with regard to eternal life, the following applies to sheep of Jesus: “Amen. Yes, my luck is great! "
History and reception
The exact date of origin of the original seven-verse song is not known. All that is documented is that it was "[sung] in a small company in 1776, August 8th, on the occasion of the [36th] birthday of Christine Petersen [...]". Another copy of the song mentions, in addition to the birthday party, another occasion to which the song was dedicated: “On the occasion of the farewell of dear Else Marie and the birthday of Christinel Petersin, the following was sung on August 8, 1776”. Apparently Petersen's birthday party was also the farewell party of “dear Else Marie”.
While the aforementioned Else Marie remains otherwise unknown, the documents in the Moravian Archive offer a range of information on Christine Petersen. Then Petersen lived from 1740 to 1807. She was a friend of Hayns and worked from 1762 to 1776 as a teacher in the girls' house of the Brethren and then until 1784 at the Moravian Toddler School. A sentence in the fourth stanza is probably aimed at this service to children: "He [the shepherd Jesus] has ordered me out into the field / to the lambs hat [...]". She is not left to her own devices: “and I am allowed to walk along in his sewing / just so gently / and on this low corridor / follow my shepherd's trail”.
From the birthday and farewell song to the communion chorale
The song was copied by hand several times in the following years. There are six copies in the Unitätsarchiv in Herrnhut alone . They show only minor deviations from the original von Hayn text.
In 1778 the first two and the last verse of poetry appeared in printed form in the so-called New Brothers Hymnbook of the Moravian Brethren. Christian Gregor took care of the compilation, revision of individual songs and the publication . The von Haynsche Lied is recorded under the number 1179 in the section of chants that were intoned in the Moravian church services at the Lord's Supper. A possible reason for this classification is probably the hunger and thirst of the "sheep of Jesus" mentioned in the second stanza. In 1784, under the number 82 in Christian Gregor's chorale book , the melody according to which the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied was sung in Herrnhut. The composer and music teacher Philipp Friedrich Silcher created another melody for the von Hayn song in 1843. It is reproduced in the melodies of the German Protestant hymns published by Johannes Zahn in 1889 . In addition, other ways of singing were created, including that of the Herrnhut Bishop Johannes Herbst (before 1812). However, they could not assert themselves in the hymn and song books.
Even before the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied was included in other German-language hymn books, it was already known on Moravian mission stations overseas. The Englishman Fredrick William Foster translated Hayn's song into his mother tongue as early as 1789. In 1849 it appeared in the American Moravian Hymn Book . Another example: On the occasion of a spiritual inspection in 1826, a Moravian missionary couple visited the branches of the Brethren on the Caribbean island of Antigua . A lady over 100 years old, who with her husband had seen the beginnings of the Antigua Mission (1756) and was now lying on her deathbed, asked her visitors to read the well-known song Because I Am Jesus' Sheep .
From communion chorale to spiritual nursery rhyme
Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser draws attention to the fact that with the selection of stanzas made by Christian Gregor, the themes of "office, succession and probation" were no longer the focus of the song. If the text was originally dedicated to seasoned employees on their birthday or as a farewell, after the four verses were omitted, the impression remained that it was a nursery rhyme. In addition, there was the simple expression and the use of the aforementioned diminutive "sheep", which was a common and popular way of speaking within the Moravian world, but was perceived as childish outside of this area. An interesting example of this are the translations that render the “little sheep” with “little lamb”, “lilla lamm”, “lítla lamb” (meaning “little lamb”). While in von Hayn's poem the teacher Christine Petersens is the “sheep of Jesus”, the “lambs” of the fourth stanza are the children entrusted to the “sheep”. The “little sheep” was originally intended as an adult sheep, but became (not least because the fourth stanza was omitted) to become a “sheep child” and thus a lamb. This opened an important door for the further dissemination of the Jesus sheep song. As a Last Supper song or church chorale for the main service, it would have had no chance outside of the Moravian and possibly soulmate pietistic circles. As a nursery rhyme, however, he found the way to church hymn books and school reading books and song books.
By 1817 at the latest, the song Because I am Jesus' sheep was known beyond the Moravian community in the circles of the then still young German awakening movement . Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser ties this to a story that happened in the year mentioned and which the journal of the pietistic German Christianity Society (Basel) reported in 1822. Afterwards, a group of children from Eisenach visited a dying girl, sang the song Because I am Jesus' sheep as a farewell and felt "an extraordinary presence of God".
Inclusion in national and free church hymn books
The awakening movement was also a singing movement and was always looking for simple, vivid and catchy spiritual songs. At the same time, efforts were made to undo the text changes made to hymns by the Enlightenment and rationalism . As a result, in addition to the official church hymn books, numerous collections of sacred songs for "church, home and school" were created in the 19th century. One of these collections was the Evangelical Song Treasury published in 1837 by the pastor and animal rights activist Albert Knapp , which contained 3,000 songs. Among them was the song Because I Am Jesus' Sheep , which was included in the children's and youth songs category . Via the “bridge” of the song treasure trove , the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied finally found its way into the regional church hymn books. The first church hymn book to adopt the song was the Württemberg hymn book from 1842. Instead of the melody composed by Christian Gregor , however, that of Friedrich Silcher was used here . An early free church hymnbook was the voice of faith of the congregation of the Lord , the first songbook of the German Baptists . It was published by Julius Köbner in 1849 . The von Hayn song is there under the number 187. For his 1850 printed music edition of the voice of faith , Köbner took over the melody of Christian Gregor. The following editions of the Voice of Faith , which were extensively revised after the turn of the century, also carried the song. It also found its way into the songbook of the Baptist Sunday School, which was initially provided by Philipp Bickel : Singvögelein (1908) In the edition of Faith Voice printed after the Second World War , von Hayn's song no longer appears, but remained in the children's songbooks.
From the second half of the 19th century, the song was adopted by other German hymn books. In some cases the editors kept the original Moravian melody, in some cases they replaced it with others. In the hymn book of the Silesian regional church from 1863 and in the church hymn book of the Evangelical Lutheran regional church of Hanover from 1883, for example, the melody of the Silesius song Meine Seele! Want to find rest use.
The liturgical classification of the song took place under different rubrics, for example "From the threefold ministry of Jesus Christ", "Love for the Savior" and "Jesus songs". Spiritual folk songs ”. Friedrich Layriz obviously considered the song Because I am Jesus' sheep to be so significant that he included it in his collection Kern des Deutschen Kirchengesangs for the use of Evangelical Lutheran congregations and families , published in 1853 .
In some regional churches, however, the question of whether the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied should be recorded sparked discussions. For example, von Hayn's song could not prevail in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony . It was included in the draft of a hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony , but it was no longer included in the hymn book published in 1883. In the 1911 hymn book for the Protestant Church in Wiesbaden , von Hayn's song was given the following heading: “For children, not for the singing of the congregation in church services”.
Inclusion in school books and folk song collections
The Süddeutsche Schulbote recommended in 1841 that the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied should be used in lessons for six to eight year olds. By the middle of the 19th century at the latest, the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied was included in the textbook literature and has been able to maintain its place there up to the recent present. The following list shows only a selection.
| title | editor | Publishing year | page |
|---|---|---|---|
| A happy song. Song book for Protestant religious instruction in primary schools | Religious Education Center in Bavaria (Munich) [Publisher: Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern] |
1995 | ? |
| First language and reading book for German elementary schools | without author / publisher information [print and publisher Theodor Groos, Karlsruhe] |
1844 (7th edition) | P. 78 |
| Songbook for School and Life (Book 1–3) | JGF Pflüger [Friedrich Gutsch Verlag Karlsruhe] |
1857 | P. 6 |
| German reading book for simple elementary schools (2nd volume) | Robert Reichardt (Ed.) [Publisher: CC Meinhold & Söhne, Dresden] |
1874 | 58 |
| First lessons in the Christian faith for the lowest grades of the Protestant elementary school | Christian Mayer (draft on behalf of the royal] protest [antic] Oberconsitorium) Sebald'sche Buch- und Verlagsdruckerei Nürnberg |
1865 | 64 f. |
| Proverbs, songs and catechism for the little ones |
Friedrich Heinrich Ranke (Ed.) Verlag der JP Raw'schen Buchhandlung, Nuremberg |
1839 | P. 29 (No. 81) |
As early as 1837, von Hayn's song appeared in the Evangelische Liederschatz edited by Albert Knapp . The spiritual folk songs edited by Günter Balders are among the more recent collections of songs in which the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied was included . They appeared in 1982.
| title | editor | Publishing year | Page number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evangelical song treasure for church, school and home. A collection of sacred songs from all Christian centuries | Albert Knapp | 1837; 1850 | N. 2506 (edition 1850) |
|
Sacred songs of the Germans from Southeast Europe (Volume 1) |
Konrad Scheierling on behalf of the Institute for East German Music, Working Group Southeast German Music | 1987 | P. 256 |
| Heart, let your worries be! Spiritual folk songs | Günter Balders | 1982 | N. 108 |
| I am happy all year round. Songbook of the Bessarabia Germans | Friedrich Fiechtner / Country Team of the Bessarabian Germans Stuttgart | 1968 | P. 186 |
| Lower Saxony folk song book | Committee for female youth in Hanover | 1914 | P. 135 |
| Thuringian Folksong Book (Edition B, without sheet music) | Christian magazine association Thuringia | 1910 | P. 71 |
Sound carrier (selection)
The song Because I Am Jesus' Sheep appeared on the following recordings, among others:
- Wetzlar Children's Choir : We are the Savior's heavenly flowers (record 33 rpm, stereo; 25 cm). Wetzlar 1975
- Wetzlar Children's Choir : If you have ears, hear (record 45 rpm, stereo; 17 cm). Wetzlar 1975
- Children's choir of the New Apostolic Church (Stuttgart) and instrumental ensemble of the New Apostolic Church (Stuttgart) under the direction of Werner Paulus: Let the hearts always be happy and filled with thanks (record in the album, 33 rpm; 30 cm). Frankfurt 1987
- Brettheim Children's Choir under the direction of Hans-Gerhard Hammer and Christel Schröder: Everyone cheers, everyone sings , Part 2 (CD and booklet). Holzgerlingen 2002
- Waldemar Grab (piano): I swing you with heart and mouth (CD). Dillenburg 2011. Eurofonia (LC 00519) CV 272.639
Because I am Jesus' sheep as the title of writings and musical compilations
The popularity of the song meant that the first line of von Hayn's song became the title of various publications and compilations. A few examples should prove this.
- Because I am Jesus' sheep was the title of a series of publications for “small and large children” that was published by Ernst Kaufmann Verlag in Lahr in 1889 and was authored by Baroness Antonie von Holzhausen-Gablenz. The series of publications consisted of four booklets that wanted to convey religious content in a child-friendly way using the seasons and using illustrations, texts and poems.
- 1922 appeared in the book u. Kunstverlag C. Hirsch in the Edelweiß series . Stories for young and old a story of Marie Liebrecht with the title Because I am Jesus' sheep .
- The first volume of a workbook for religious education , which appeared in Kaiserslautern in 1963 and whose author was Günter Schwinn , also bore the title of the Jesu Schäflein song .
- In 2008, the New Apostolic Verlag Friedrich Bischoff published a two-volume Sunday school teaching aid for children aged 3 to 6 under the title of von Hayn's song . The content is about teaching units on the Old and New Testament as well as on the area of "Life and Faith". It consists of a loose-leaf collection and a teacher's manual.
The Jesu sheep song in biographies and biographical notes (examples)
The von Hayn song is mentioned in numerous biographical publications. Mostly (but not only!) Childhood memories are associated with this song. A reason for this can already be found in Eduard Koch . In his History of Hymns and Hymns [...] , published in 1847, he calls the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied the "model of a child's song in the real child's tone, and therefore also extremely dear to all children." So it is not surprising that the song is not was and is only sung in children's services and religious instruction in schools, but also at home and on the go. It is a memorized prayer, serves as a birthday song, and is intended to help sad children get over their pain. Because the Jesu-Schäflein song is associated with many childhood memories, the music geragogue Marlene Beuerle-Adam, for example, advises using it as a “spiritual folk song” when working with old and dying people.
The following examples are sorted alphabetically.
- Karl Barth (1886–1968), evangelical reformed theologian, made the following comments to Swiss pastors who paid him a visit at an advanced age: “The older I get, the more I enjoy the simple Sunday school song Because I am Jesus' sheep I am anyway . "
- Ingrid R. Gade (born 1949) is the daughter of a German and a colored US American GI . She was given away as a baby because of the color of her skin. In her biography she reports that she got to know the Jesu-Schäflein-Lied while attending the children's church service and quotes the first verse. What she heard from her Christian foster mother after the service was a strong contradiction to the content of the song: “What did you say in church? What about jesus […] You don't know anymore? You don't get lunch! Off to the cellar! "
- In a report on the baptism of the later poet and writer Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) it says: “The little one screamed at first, but while he was singing he looked around brightly and then remained silent. We sang: Because I am Jesus' sheep [...] . "
- Karl Steinbauer (1906–1988), Protestant theologian and member of the Confessing Church , preached about the Bible verse at Christmas 1943 ( Isaiah 9.5 EU ). Because of various statements in this address, he was arrested about 14 days later and taken to a concentration camp for several weeks. After all, he had to answer before a court martial. During the negotiation, he repeated the Christmas sermon he had given with the explanations it contained on the Jesus-Shepherd Song: “[…] I will not and cannot get beyond the simple little verse that I learned, prayed and understood as a small child and that I, as a husband and father, do not stop learning when I sing and pray with my children: Because I am Jesus' sheep [the whole first stanza follows]. Anyway, I need this good shepherd. […] In the middle of March [added: 1943] I […] lay dead alone with my broken leg in the snow of Russia. Since I understood the verse in a different and deeper way than usual. […] One is receptive and warmly grateful for the simple children's verse, which holds real help and comfort, even for a dying soldier in the middle of the snowfields of Russia: Shouldn't I? be happy [the whole last verse follows]. "
Translations (selection)
English
The oldest known English translation of the song Because I Am Jesu Schäflein dates from 1789 and comes from the pen of Frederick William Foster . It was intended for the Moravian Church in America hymn book and was entitled Jesus Makes my Heart Rejoice. However, the translation with the title I am Jesus' little lamb, made by William Fleming Stevenson , became more popular in the English-speaking world . It appeared in 1871. Catherine Winkworth created another translation of the von Hayn song. The first line of the song is I am Jesus' little lamb. It was (first?) Published in print around 1877. The hymn book, in which the Winkworth translation was included under number 17, is entitled Songs of Beulah. A New Collection of Music for Sunday Schools, Families and Devotional Meetings .
Jesus makes my heart rejoice (Frederick William Foster)
Fredrick William Foster came from Bradford (Yorkshire, England) and lived from 1760 to 1835. As a young man he came into contact with the Moravian Movement , was later one of its pastors and finally ordained a bishop. Foster was the editor of the Moravian Hymn Book published in 1801 .
- (1) Jesus makes my heart rejoice, / I'm his sheep, and know his voice; / he's a Shepherd, kind and gracious, / And his pastures are delicious; / constant love to me he shows, / yea, my very name he knows.
- (2) Trusting his mild staff always, / I go in and out in peace; / he will feed me with treasure / of his grace in richest measure; / when athirst to him I cry, / Living water he'll supply.
- (3) Should not I for gladness leap, / led by Jesus as his sheep? / For when these blessed days are over / to the arms of my dear Savior / I shall be conveyed to rest. / Amen, yea, my lot is blessed.
I am Jesus' little lamb (William Fleming Stevenson)
William Fleming Stevenson was of Irish descent and lived from 1832 to 1886. In addition to his work as a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, he was an author of theological books. The hymn book Hymns for the Church and Home , published by him in 1873, was widely used .
- (1) I am Jesus' little lamb. / Ever glad at heart I am; / For my Shepherd gently guides me, / Knows my need, and well provides me, / Loves me ev'ry day the same, / Even calls me by my name.
- (2) Day by day, at home, away, / Jesus is my staff and stay. / When I hunger, Jesus feeds me, / Into pleasant pastures leads me; / When I thirst, He bids me go / Where the quiet waters flow.
- (3) Who so happy as I am, / Even now the Shepherd's lamb? / And when my short life is ended, / By His angel host attended, / He shall fold me to His breast, / There within His arms to rest.
I am Jesus' little lamb (Catherine Winkworth)
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878) was a native of Holborn near London . She died near Geneva . It was her particular merit to have spread the German choral tradition through intensive translation work in the English-speaking world.
- (1) I am Jesus' little lamb, / Therefore glad at heart I am; / Jesus loves me, Jesus knows me, / All that's good and fair He shows me, / Tends me ev'ry day the same, / Even calls me by my name.
- (2) Out and in I safely go, / Want and hunger never know; / Soft green pastures He discloseth, / Where His happy flock reposeth; / When I faint or thirsty be, / To the brook He leadeth me.
- (3) Should not I be glad all day / In this blessèd fold to stay, / By this holy Shepherd tended, / Whose kind arms, when life is ended, / Bear me to the world of light? / Yes, O yes, my lot is bright.
Faroese
The Faroese translation of the Jesu Schäflein song goes back to an unknown author. Information about the inclusion of the song in a hymn book or song book cannot be given due to a lack of information. The following first stanza was found on the Internet. It is not yet known whether other stanzas exist in the Faroese language.
- Jesu lítla lamb eri eg / á sínu herðum ber hann meg / gjøgnum fjøll og djúpar dalar / heim í Himna ljósu salar / Jesu lítla lamb eri eg / á sínu herðum ber hann meg.
French
The following French translation was created by Georges Pfalzgraf in 2013.
- (1) De Jésus l'humble brebis, / ce dont je me réjouis / du Berger qui sur moi veille / tout ce qu'il fait m'émerveille! / Par mon nom il me connaît! / Admirable est ce qu'il fait!
- (2) Guidé par le Bon Berger / je peux sortir et rentrer / trouver de bons pâturages / avec tout un choix d'herbâges; / Quand la soif se fait sentir / c'est son eau qu'il vient m'offrir!
- (3) Oh! combien je suis heureux, / comme agneau humble et joyeux! / Au bout des jours sur la terre / Christ me porte auprès du Père / sans fin y est mon bonheur / grâce à Jésus, mon Sauveur!
Swedish
The Swedish translation comes from C (lara?) Ahnström (Clara Ahnfelt, née Strömberg?) And Frederik Engelke (1848–1906). It was published in Svensk söndagsskolsångbok (1908) , among others .
- (1) Jesu lilla lamm jag är, / Han mig i sina armar bär / Över Höjder, djup och dalar / Upp till sina ljusa salar. / Jesu lilla lamm jag är, / Han mig i sina armar bär.
- (2) Jesus egendom jag är. / Ty han har köpt mig, som jag är: / Fattig, syndig och fördärvad, / Han med blodet mig förvärvat. / Jesus egendom jag är. / Ty han har köpt mig, som jag är.
- (3) Jesus Ögonsten jag är. / Han mig uppå sitt hjärta bär. / Ingen ens ett hår får röra, / Om vi Jesus helt tillhöra. / Mig han vid sitt hjärta bär, / Och Jesu ögonsten jag är.
Spanish
Friedrich Ludwig Fliedner (1845–1901), son of the socially committed pastor Theodor Fliedner , translated von Hayn's song into Spanish after 1870 . Friedrich Fliedner was, among other things, clergyman at the German embassy in Madrid . As "Frederico Fliedner" he created numerous translations of German hymns.
- (1) De Jesús cordero soy. / Siempre tras mi dueño voy. / Como buen pastor me guía. / Toda mi alma en él confía. / Porque su favor me da, / Nada, pues, me faltará.
- (2) Por mi nombre me llamó, / Y su voz conozco yo. / Me protege el fell cayado. / Buenos pastos él me ha dado, / Claras fuentes en mi sed. / ¡Bueno es él! ¡Gustad y ved!
- (3) Siempre así yo alegre estoy. / ¡Qué feliz cordero soy! / Luego de estos bellos días, / A su reino de alegrías / Mi alma, oh ángeles, llevad. / ¡Grande es mi felicidad!
The Jesu sheep song in church hymn books (selection)
Regional church hymn books
| Hymn book | year | number | Denominational assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Evangelical hymn book of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and its member churches […] Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Bavaria and Thuringia |
1994 | 593 | Evangelical Lutheran |
|
Evangelical hymn book for Brandenburg and Pomerania Regional edition of the German Evangelical hymn book |
1931 | 555 | united |
|
Evangelical hymn book for Rhineland and Westphalia Regional edition of the German Evangelical hymn book |
1929 | 64 | united |
| Evangelical church hymn book . Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran churches in Lower Saxony |
1983 | 479 | Evangelical Lutheran |
| Hymnal of the Evangelical Church in Hesse | 1930 | 563 | Evangelical Lutheran |
Free church hymn books
| Hymn book | year | number | Denominational assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hymnal for Mennonites (published by the General Conference of the Mennonite Community of North America / USA) |
1950 | 472 | Mennonite |
|
Hymnal for use by the evangelical fraternities ( New Brethren Hymnal ) |
1778 | 1179 | lordly |
| Voice of faith of the congregation of the Lord (Ed. Julius Köbner ) | 1849 | 187 | Baptist |
| Voice of faith for the Lord's churches | 1916 | 65 | Baptist |
| Songbook (peace voice) | 1989 | 954 | Gospel Christians-Baptists |
| New Songbird (Ed. Philipp Bickel ) | 1952 | 130 | Baptist |
| Our children's song book | 1987 | 225 | Baptist , Methodist , Free Evangelical |
Community movement
| Hymn book | year | number | Denominational assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus our joy | 2002 | 403 | Community movement |
| Reich songs | 1991 | 623 | Community movement , pietistic |
Others
| Hymn book | year | number | Denominational assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hymnal of the New Apostolic Church | 2005 | 269 | New Apostolic |
Literature (selection)
- Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782); a poet of Moravian Pietism (dissertation). University of Marburg 2005 ( full text ).
- Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: "Because I am Jesus' sheep ...". The song poet Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782) as an example of the Moravian piety style. In: Gottesdienst und Kirchenmusik , 6/1994, pp. 167–172.
- Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug (ed.): The motif of the Good Shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, pp. 181-196.
- R. Wind: Because I am Jesus' sheep: Theological remarks on a pastoral idyll. In: F. Crüsemann u. a .: Don't believe death: Social history from the Bible. Gütersloh 2004, pp. 619–628.
- Andrea K. Thurnwald: Because I am Jesus' little sheep - children's life and children's faith in Protestant Franconia. Bad Windsheim 1995, ISBN 3-926834-32-3 .
Web links
- Frauen und Reformation.de: "Amen, yes, my happiness is great" - Henriette Louise von Hayn, a poet of Moravian Pietism. A contribution by Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen ; accessed on October 13, 2016
- Audio file of the melody Christian Gregors
- GOLYR.de: hymns . Because I am Jesus' little sheep (text and song performance by a children's choir)
Notes and individual references
- ↑ Christian Gregor (ed.): Hymnal for the use of the evangelical brotherhoods. Barby 1778, no.1179.
- ↑ Hanns-Joachim Wollstadt: Orderly service in the Christian community - represented by the ways of life of the Moravian Brethren in their beginnings. Göttingen 1966, p. 84 f.
- ↑ Quoted from Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug (ed.): The motif of the good shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 182.
- ↑ The Moravian Brethren was divided into groups according to age, gender and status. Such a group was called a choir (neuter: “the choir”), i.e. men's, women's, maiden choir.
- ↑ What is meant is the suffering Christ.
- ↑ Quoted from Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782). In: Unitas Fratrum. Issue 45/46 (1999), p. 83.
- ↑ Anja Wehrend: Musikanschauung, Musikpraxis, Cantata compositions in the Moravian Brethren, their musical and theological significance for community life from 1727 to 1760. Frankfurt am Main 1995, p. 19.
- ↑ According to ( Joh 19,33-34 EU ) this wound was added to the crucified Christ by the lance of a Roman soldier.
- ↑ So von Hayn came to Herrnhaag when the so-called "sighting time", the phase of dealing with the excesses of the mystical cult of wounds, had already begun. On Herrnhaag and the Seitenhöhlchen cult see, for example, Hans-Georg Kemper: Sensibility , Volume 6.1 in the series German Lyrik of the Early Modern Times (Ed. Hans-Georg Kemper). Tübingen 1997, pp. 31-49.
- ↑ The biblical references mentioned here are based (unless otherwise noted) on Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782); a poet of Moravian Pietism. Dissertation, University of Marburg, 2005, p. 151 f.
- ↑ According to Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser, this change was probably introduced at the end of the 19th century.
- ↑ For example, copy by an unknown hand; Unitätsarchiv Herrnhut NB IV.R.3.18, p. 145; see also the copy of this manuscript by Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug: The motif of the good shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 190.
- ↑ This variant goes back to Christian Gregor; see Christian Gregor (editor): Hymnal for the use of the evangelical fraternities. Herrnhut 1778, No. 1179.
- ^ Northeimer database German poem: Jesu Schäflein by Luise von Hayn .
- ↑ Examples: Northeim database German poem: Jesu Schäflein by Luise von Hayn ; Peter Merx: Because I am Jesus' sheep. In: Schlesischer Gottesfreund. News and contributions from Protestant Silesia (Ed. Community of Protestant Silesians (Aid Committee) eV). 64th volume, 6/2014. ISSN 1861-9746 , pp. 84-86, here: p. 85.
- ↑ Peter Merx: Because I am Jesus' sheep. In: Schlesischer Gottesfreund. News and contributions from Protestant Silesia (Ed. Community of Protestant Silesians (Aid Committee) eV). 64th volume, 6/2014. ISSN 1861-9746 , pp. 84-86, here: p. 86.
- ^ Northeimer database German poem: Jesu Schäflein by Luise von Hayn. The change goes back to Christian Gregor; see Christian Gregor (editor): hymn book for the use of the evangelical fraternities. Herrnhut 1778, No. 1179.
- ^ Northeimer database German poem: Jesu Schäflein by Luise von Hayn . The text available in the Norheim database follows a handwritten copy of the song, which can be found in the university archive under UA NB IV R 3.21a.
- ↑ See also Horst Joachim Frank: Handbuch der Strophenformen. 2nd Edition. Tübingen 1993, pp. 235-236.
- ↑ Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug: The motif of the good shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 189.
- ↑ Ps 23.1 EU - The authorship is controversial in biblical studies .
- ↑ In Hebrew it says literally: "JHWH (= יהוה) is my shepherd." YHWH is translated in many German translations as "LORD" or "LORD"; see Psalm 23: 1).
- ↑ Joh 10.1-18 EU , Joh 10.22-30 EU , Heb 13.20 EU ; indirectly Mt 18.12–14 EU and parr, Lk 15.1–7 EU
- ↑ a b Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782) - a poet of Moravian Pietism. Marburg 2005, p. 154.
- ↑ Von Hayn probably did not know that salt for sheep and other livestock is one of the most important foods and that it is generally eaten with pleasure.
- ↑ Quoted from Adelheid M. von Hauff (Ed.): Women shape Diakonie. Volume 1: From Biblical Times to Pietism. Stuttgart 2007, p. 419.
- ↑ Unitätsarchiv NB IV R 3.25a, S. 372nd
- ↑ The data and facts in this section are based on Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen, unless otherwise stated: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782); a poet of Moravian Pietism. Dissertation, University of Marburg, 2005, pp. 149–156.
- ↑ Unitätsarchiv NB IV R 3.18, p. 145; 3.21a p. 306; 3.21.3, p. 407; 3.21b p. 253; 3.25a, p. 170; 3.25.c, p. 215.
- ↑ Compare Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782); a poet of Moravian Pietism. Dissertation, University of Marburg, 2005, p. 152.
- ↑ Christian Gregor: Choral book, containing all melodies belonging to the hymn book of the Evangelical Brethren from 1778. Leipzig 1784, no.82.
- ↑ Johannes Zahn: The melodies of the German Protestant hymns drawn from the sources and communicated. Volume 2. Gütersloh 1889, p. 395.
- ↑ Worldcat: Because I am Jesus' sheep (lively, but not too fast) ; accessed on January 2, 2017.
- ↑ On Johannes Herbst, see Moravian Church Arcbhives: Johannes Herbst (1735-1812), Moravian Minister and Musician (English; February 2012) .
- ↑ The mission report can be found at Christoph Ernst Senft: Nachrichten aus der Brüder-Gemeine. Volume 11, edition 2. Gnadau 1829, p. 327 f.
- ↑ Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer and Diana Rothaug (eds.): The motif of the Good Shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 192.
- ↑ For the Schäflein-Jesu-Lied as a children's song, see Eduard Emil Koch: Because I am Jesu Schäflein. In: History of the hymn and hymn of the Christian, especially German Protestant church (Eduard Emil Koch). Part 2, Volume 4; 2nd Edition. Stuttgart 1853, p. 577 f.
- ↑ The title of the magazine was: Collections for lovers of Christian truth and godliness .
- ↑ See Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug (ed.): The motif of the Good Shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 193 f.
- ↑ The report of the collections for lovers of Christian truth [...] can also be found in Eduard Emil Koch: Because I am Jesus' sheep. In: History of the hymn and hymn of the Christian, especially German Protestant church (Eduard Emil Koch). Part 2, Volume 4; 2nd Edition. Stuttgart 1853, p. 578.
- ↑ Elisabeth Schneider-Böklen: “Amen, yes, my happiness is great”. Henriette Louise von Hayn (1724–1782); a poet of Moravian Pietism. Dissertation, University of Marburg, 2005, p. 194.
- ^ Albert Knapp: Evangelical song treasure for church, house and school. Stuttgart 1837. In 1850 a second edition appeared. The Jesu-Schäflein-Lied can be found here under the number 2506.
- ↑ Julius Köbner (Ed.): Four-part German, English and French melodies for Julius Köbner's voice of faith in the Lord's Church. With an attachment. Hamburg 1850, No. 169, p. 168.
- ↑ Philipp Bickel (ed.): Das Singvögelein. A collection of songs for Sunday schools. Kassel 1908, No. 132, p. 122.
- ↑ Voice of faith for church and house . Kassel 1951. (Note: The year of publication of the Faith Voice is 1950; it was only delivered in 1951. See Edwin Brandt : Chronik 1945–1984, in: Günter Balders (Ed.): Ein Herr, ein Glaube, ein Taufe. 150 years of Baptist congregations in Germany, Wuppertal / Kassel 1984, p. 309.)
-
↑ See for example Philipp Bickel (Ed.): Das Neue Singvögelein (text edition). Kassel 1952, No. 130, p. 59 f .;
Günter Balders , Marita Imhoff, Hinrich Schmidt, Werner Siemens, Ulrike Szepan: Our children's song book. Wuppertal / Kassel / Stuttgart / Witten 1986, No. 225. - ↑ Spiritual treasure trove of songs. Collection of the most excellent spiritual songs for church, school and home and all living conditions. Berlin 1853, no.120.
- ^ Protestant hymn book for Alsace-Lorraine. [Strasbourg] 1902, no. 396.
- ↑ Hymnal for the Evangelical Protestant Church in Baden. Lahr 1938, no.496.
- ↑ Konstanze Grutschnig-Kieser: "Because I am Jesus' sheep". On the story of a song from the Moravian Church. In: Michael Fischer, Diana Rothaug (ed.): The motif of the Good Shepherd in theology, literature and music (= Mainz Hymnological Research , Volume 5). Tübingen 2002, p. 195.
- ↑ Fridrich Layritz (Ed.): Core of the German church chant for the use of Evangelical-Lutheran congregations and families. Third department. Containing CCLXIII modes. Nördlingen 1853, No. 264.
- ^ Hymn book commission: Draft of a hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran regional church of Saxony. Leipzig 1881, No. 721 ( Church and School section ).
- ^ South German school messenger. A magazine for the German school system. Volume 7, p. 20.
- ↑ See for example First Language and Reading Book for German Elementary Schools. Printed and published by Christian Theodor Groos, Karlsruhe 1844, p. 78.
- ↑ For example: Religionspädagogisches Zentrum München (Ed.): A happy song. Song book for Protestant religious instruction in primary schools. Evangelical Press Association for Bavaria, Munich 1995.
- ^ Albert Knapp (Ed.): Evangelical song treasure for church, school and house. A collection of sacred songs from all Christian centuries. 1837 and 1850. No. 2506 in the 1850 edition.
- ↑ A. von Holzhausen-Gablenz: Because I am Jesus' sheep. Issues 1–4 (1: in winter ; 2: in spring ; 3: in summer ; 4: in autumn ). Lahr 1889.
- ↑ Edelweiss. Stories for young and old. Issue 112. Constance 1922.
- ^ Günter Schwinn: Because I am Jesus' sheep. A coloring book for 1st and 2nd grade. Volume 1 in the series of workbooks for religious education. Kaiserslautern 1963.
- ↑ New Apostolic Church international (ed.): Because I am Jesus' sheep. Teaching materials for the New Apostolic Church's early Sunday school (Part 1: Teacher's Manual ; Part 2: Loose-leaf collection). Frankfurt 1998.
- ^ Eduard Emil Koch: History of hymns and church hymns with special regard to Würtemberg. Second part: The songs and sages. Christian Belser'sche Buchhandlung, Stuttgart 1847, p. 388 - Koch incorrectly reports that Luise von Hayn composed this song for the children entrusted to her; see p. 492.
- ↑ Andrea K. Thurnwald: "Pious Men". An empirical study on the context of biography and religion (interview with Mr. WS, pp. 185–200). Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, p. 196.
- ^ Margret von Falck: A Childhood in Minden (1934-1949). Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt 2005, p. 42 f.
- ↑ Bruno Röthig: From continent to continent: a “Soli deo Gloria”. Memorandum on the concert tour of the Leipzig Solo Quartet for Ev. Church hymns to Russia, Germany and the United States of America in late autumn 1900. St. Petersburg 1901, p. 7.
- ↑ Marlene Beuerle-Adam: The string instrument Kinnor in work with seniors. Suggestions, examples and explanations for music-educational work. Verlag Book on Demand, Norderstedt 2014, ISBN 978-3-7357-9393-5 , p. 15.
- ↑ Quoted from Benkt-Erik Benktson: Karl Barth in memoriam. In: Centrum för teologi och religionsvetenskap of the University of Lund (ed.): Svensk Teologisk Kvartalskrift, year 45 / 1st quarter. Lund 1969, pp. 65-66, here: p. 66.
- ↑ Ingrid R. Gade, Lars Röper: “Give me a black kiss!” A GI baby in post-war Germany on the great search for daddy. Verlag Book on Demand, Norderstedt 2016, ISBN 978-3-8391-6327-6 , p. 51 f.
- ^ Siegfried Greiner: Hermann Hesse. Youth in Calw. Reports, image and text documents and commentary on Hesse's Gerbersau stories. Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-7995-2009-0 , p. 13.
- ↑ See in detail: Karl Steinbauer: The sermon before the court martial. Verlag Kirche und Mann, Gütersloh o. J. [1963?].
- ^ Karl Steinbauer: The sermon before the court martial. Verlag Kirche und Mann, Gütersloh o. J. [1963?], P. 25 f.
- ↑ Mountolivelcms.com: The singing Church. I am Jesus' little lamb ; accessed on January 2, 2017.
- ^ Lutheran Church: Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church. P. 905, song no. 556 (see information on authorship; online, accessed January 2, 2017).
- ↑ Hymnary.org: I am Jesus' little lamb (see information on authorship) ; accessed on January 2, 2017.
- ↑ SL Harkey: Songs of Beulah: A New Collection of Music for Sunday Schools, Families and Devotional meetings. Philadelphia 1877, no.17.
- ↑ Hymntime.com: Frederick William Foster. 1760-1835 ; accessed on January 2, 2017.
- ↑ Thomas Hamilton: Article Stevenson, William Fleming. In: Dictionary of National Biography. 1885-1900. Volume 54, p. 258, SP I and II online .
- ↑ mizpa.fo: Jesus litla lamb eri eg .
- ^ Chorals en Francais.fr: Because I am Jesus' sheep ; accessed on January 1, 2017.
- ↑ Wikisource: Jesu lilla lamm jag är .
- ↑ For Friedrich Ludwig Fliedner see Hymnary.org: Frederico Fliedner ; viewed on December 25, 2017.
- ↑ Listed in the appendix as a “spiritual folk song”, “not intended for parish worship”.
- ↑ A corresponding four-part chorale book was published in 1784. It contains the well-known melody composed by Christian Gregor.
- ↑ 5th edition