Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier

"Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier" (literally: Dearest Jesus, we are here) is a Lutheran hymn with text written by Tobias Clausnitzer in 1663, and a hymn tune, Zahn No. 3498b, based on a 1664 melody by Johann Rudolph Ahle (Zahn No. 3498a).[2] A prayer for illumination, it is suitable for the opening of a church service and to be sung before a sermon. The song is part of the Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 161. It is also part of the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob as GL 149. It is popular also in English translations such as "Blessed Jesus, at your word" by Catherine Winkworth.

"Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier"
Lutheran hymn
Tobias Clausnitzer
English"Blessed Jesus, at your word"
CatalogueZahn 3498b
Written1663 (1663)
Textby Tobias Clausnitzer
LanguageGerman
Meter8 7 8 7 8 8[1]
Melodyby Johann Rudolph Ahle
Composed1664
Published1975 (1975)

History

Clausnitzer wrote the text "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier" in 1663,[3] as a prayer for illumination.[4] It was often sung before a sermon in a church service, and also at the beginning of school lessons.[5][6]

The hymn is part of the German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch, as EG 161.[7] It is part of the German Catholic hymnal Gotteslob of 2013, as GL 149 in the section Eröffnung (Opening),[3] and of many other hymnals and songbooks.[7] The song is published in more than 100 hymnals.[8] Catherine Winkworth translated it as "Blessed Jesus, at your word".[4] Other hymns sung to the same tune are "Blessed Jesus, here we stand" and "Word of God, Come Down on Earth".[1]

Text, melody and settings

"Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier" is in three stanzas of six lines each. The bar form has a Stollen of two lines, and an Abgesang of two lines, with a rhyming scheme ABABCC.[5] The text is given as in GL 149, and in Winkworth's translation:

Musical settings

The hymn appears in the vocal and organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He harmonised the slightly simplified tune as a four part chorale (BWV 373,[9] transcribed below) and wrote two chorale preludes of the same tune for organ (BWV 730,[10] and BWV 731[11]) The chorale prelude BWV 633 to the same hymn and its embellished variant BWV 634 form part of the Orgelbüchlein.[12]

<< << \new Staff { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key g \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t \relative c'' \repeat volta 2 { << { b4 a8 g a4 d | b g a2\fermata | g4 g g g | a b a2 | g1 \fermata \break } \\ { d4 d d fis | d d8 e fis2 | e4 f e d | e8 fis g4 g fis | d1 } >> } \relative c' << { d4 d e fis | g a fis d\fermata g4 g g g | a b a2 | g1\bar"|." } \\ { b,4 a b8 cis d4 | e e d a | d8[ b] c d e4 e | e8 fis g4 g fis | d1 } >> } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"1." Lieb4 -- ster Je -- su! wir sind hier,2 dich4 und dein Wort an -- zu -- hö2 -- ren;1 daß4 die Her -- zen von der Er -- den ganz zu dir ge -- zo -- gen wer2 -- den.1 } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { len4 -- ke Si -- nnen und Be -- gier2 hin4 zu dei -- nem Him -- mels -- leh2 -- ren,1 } \new Staff { \clef bass \key g \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \relative c' \repeat volta 2 { << { g8 a b4 a a | b8 c d4 d2 | b4 b c g | c d e8 c a d16 c | b1 } \\ { g,4 g' g8[ fis] e d | g[ a] b g d2 | e,8 e'4 d8 c, c'4 b8 | a4 g8 b c a d4 | g,1 } >> } \relative c' << { g4 a g a | b a a fis | g4. f8 e fis g a16 b | c4 d d4. c8 | b1 } \\ { g,8 g'4 fis8 e4 d | d cis d d | b8[ g] a b c[ d] c b | a4 g8 b d2 | g,1 } >> } >> >> \layout { indent = #0 } \midi { \tempo 4 = 90 }

Sigfrid Karg-Elert composed a chorale prelude as one of his 66 Chorale improvisations for organ, Op. 65, published in 1909.[13]

Melody

The version of the melody used in recent German hymnals is slightly different from the one employed in Bach's settings.[3][14]

<< << \new Staff { \clef treble \time 2/2 \partial 2 \key f \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t \relative c'' \repeat volta 2 { << { \set Timing.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment -2/4) a4 f | g c8( bes) a4 g8( f) | g2 f4. e8 | d8( e) f4 g a | g2 f \break } \\ { f4 f | e e c c | c2 a4 a4 | bes bes8( c) d( e) f4 | e2 c } >> } \relative c' << { \set Timing.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment -2/4) c4. c8 | d4 e f g8( f) | e4 c f4. f8 | g4 a bes a | g2 f \bar"|." } \\ { c4. bes8 | a4 c d8( c) b4 | c4 c a4 bes8( c) | d4 c d d | c4. bes8 a2 } >> } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set stanza = #"2." Un4 -- ser Wis -- sen und Ver -- stand2 ist4 mit Fin -- ster -- nis um -- hül2 -- let, Gu4 -- tes den -- ken, tun und dich -- ten musst4 du selbst in uns ver -- rich2 -- ten. } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { wo4 nicht dei -- nes Gei -- stes Hand2 uns4 mit hel -- lem Licht er -- fül2 -- let. } \new Staff { \clef bass \key f \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \relative c' \repeat volta 2 { << { c4 a | c g f g | e2 d8( e) f4 | f f bes c | c bes a2 } \\ { f4 f | c c f e8( d) | c2 d4. c8 | bes8( c) d4 g, c | c2 f, } >> } \relative c' << { e,8( f) g4 | a g b8([ a]) g4 | g4 e d d | d4 e8( f) g4 f | f4 e c } \\ { c8( d) e4 | f g g g, | c4 c d4. c8 | bes4 a g a8( b) | c2 f, } >> } >> >> \layout { indent = #0 } \midi { \tempo 4 = 90 }

References
  1. Hymnary tune 2020.
  2. Zahn 1890, pp. 419–420.
  3. Mein Gotteslob 2020.
  4. Hymnary Winkworth 2020.
  5. Kandler 2020.
  6. Neufang 2019.
  7. Evangelium 2020.
  8. Hymnary 2020.
  9. Luke Dahn: BWV 373 bach-chorales.com
  10. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV 730 / Chorale setting Bach Digital
  11. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV 731 / Chorale setting Bach Digital
  12. Williams, Peter (2003), The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-89115-9
  13. Choral Improvisations for Organ, Op. 65: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  14. "Liebster Jesu wir sind hier". www.franzdorfer.com.

Cited sources
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