O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded is a hymn that comes in its current form by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) and Johann Crüger ( 1598-1662 ).

Formation

The Protestant hymn writer Paul Gerhardt translated the Latin hymn Salve caput cruentatum, which today is attributed to Arnulf of Louvain (1200-1250), 1656 in the last year of his term as provost in Mittenwalde into German. To Gerhardt time and long afterward Bernard of Clairvaux ( 1090-1153 order ) was considered as first author of the hymn. He is the final part of a traditional under the title Oratio Rhythmica cycle of seven meditations on the limbs of the crucified Christ (see also Membra Jesu nostri ).

The melody of Johann Crüger (1598-1662), organist at St. Nicholas Church in Berlin and friend of Paul Gerhardt, leans rhythmically simplified to the love song My G'müt is troubleth me by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) to, for the first time in 1601 appeared in Hassler's Lustgarten new Teutonic Gesäng. Already in 1613 had this melody in the song book Harmoniae sacrae the 1599 text created by Christoph Knoll ( 1563-1621 ) Herzlich tut me call for a blissful end been kontrafaziert.

Reception

Individual verses were used by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) in the St. Matthew Passion ( BWV 244 ), where Bach met the selection and order of verses used for their own and not his librettist Picander ( 1700-1764 ) left. Bach used his sixth stanza in the cantata Behold! We go up to Jerusalem ( BWV 159 ), which deals with the announcement of the Passion. The melody also appears in Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Paul Gerhardt text How should I receive you, the first chorale in Part I (No. 5) and now you are probably smelled the final chorus of Part VI.

In the Protestant hymnal the work as # 85 was recorded as No. 179 in the Catholic praise of God. The first recording in a Catholic hymnal found the song already 30 years after Gerhardt's death.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy composed in 1830 a church cantata for soloists, choir and orchestra O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. Other arrangements are by Johann Pachelbel, Johann Gottfried Walther, Georg Philipp Telemann, Franz Liszt, Friedrich Silcherstraße, Rudolf Palme, Max Reger, Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger, Johann Nepomuk David, Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer, and Rupert Gottfried Frieberger and many other composers before. In particular organ edits are present in large numbers.

The melody was used except in the historic art music among others in 1960 by Peter, Paul & Mary with the Dave Brubeck Trio ( "Because all men are brothers" on the LP " Summit Sessions" ), 1973 by Paul Simon for his song American Tune, 2006 by Dieter Falk ( the album " A tribute to Paul Gerhardt " ) and 2012 by the Canadian songwriter John K. Samson in his song Stop Error.

Text

1 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, Full of pain and scorn, O head, bound for ridicule With a crown of thorns, O head, once crowned in beautiful With highest honor and virtue, But now high schimpfieret: Hail sei'st me! 2 You noble countenance, Prior else cringes and spares The Great World weights, How are you so spat! How are you so erbleichet! Who has your eyesight, The otherwise no other light gleichet, So zugericht't shameful? 3 The color of your cheeks, The red lips splendor Is back and all passed; The pale death power Everything has accepted, Has everything swept away, And therefore art thou come From your womb force. 4 Well, what are you, Lord, endureth, Is all my burden; I have it self-inflicted, What you were wearing. Look, here I stand poor, The wrath of her work; Give me, O my Merciful The sight of your grace! ' 5 Know me, my guardian, My shepherd, take me! From you, the source of all goods, If done me much good 's. Your mouth has gelabet me With milk and sweet foods; Your mind has begabet me With many a longing for heaven. 6 I want to be here with you, Not despise me! From you I will not go, If you break your heart; If your head is pale In the final deathblow And I will catch you In my arm and lap. 7 It is for my pleasure And I will heartily well, If I, in your suffering My salvation shall find me. Oh, I should like, oh my life, At your crosses here Give my life from me, As well geschähe me! 8 I thank you from my heart, O Jesus, dearest friend, For your death, pain, Since you 's been so good. Oh, give me to keep To you and your loyalty And if I now grow cold In thee my last end be! 9 Once I must depart, So no different from me; If I should suffer death, So you shall herfür then; If I am allerbängsten Will be at the heart, So tear me from the fears Power of your fear and pain! 10 Notes to me for shields, As a consolation, in my death, And let me see your image In your Kreuzesnot! Because I want to look after you, Since I will faithfully You press it to my heart. Who dies so dies well.