O Jesus Christ, True Light of God

What: This hymn is, I think, an translation by a Reverend John C. Kunze and is found in the very first English Lutheran hymnal, published in 1795 in New York. The full title of the book is "A Hymn and Prayer-Book for the Use of Such Lutheran Churches as Use the English Language." The book is quite a gem for a few reasons, including this hymn.
The translation in common use today is O Christ, Our True and Only Light.
Who: Johann Heermann was a great Lutheran hymnwriter in the 1600's. His best-known hymn is "Ah, Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken?"
Changes: I only changed "dumb" to "mute."
Tune: the proper tune is O JESU CHRISTE, WAHRES LICHT, LSB 839.

O Jesus Christ, true light of God,

Enlighten such as know Thee not

And bring them unto Thy sheepfold,

Thereby to save their precious soul.

Replenish with Thy ray of grace

The wandering erroneous race

And such who're tempted secretly

To b'lieve that which is treachery.

And what else has eloped from Thee,

That seek with grace and constancy.

All wounded consciences so heal

That they show but for heav'n their zeal.

To all deaf grant an open ear;

The mute an utt'rance without fear;

Freedom to such who would confess

Their faith concerning righteousness.

Beguiléd souls do undeceive;

Bring all back who mean Thee to leave;

Them who are scattered congregate;

Convince those in a doubtful state.

Then, Lord, due praises shall be giv'n,

On earth below, above in heav'n,

By all of Thy redeeméd race,

To Thee for all Thy love and grace.

O Jesu Christe, wahres Licht
Johann Heermann
Tr. John C. Kunze, alt.

To Your Temple, Lord, Draw Near

What: This hymn, redone by yours truly, is based on the events of the Divine Service, from the entrance, to the invocation, to the Scripture readings, to the sermon, to the Creed, to the prayers, to the Lord's Supper, to the exit.
Who: The original was written by the Moravian hymnwriter, James Montgomery.
Changes: Many hymnals have worked to make the original, "To Thy Temple I Repair," sound more natural and have sounder theology. The version here is a compilation of those changes, with a few tweaks of my own. The seventh stanza is mine.
Note: I did not know what to do about the fourth line of stanza one. I wanted to say "Here we receive our Savior's grace," but couldn't fit it in. 'Get,' 'take,' and 'here we hear' did not seem appropriate.
Tune: The meter is 77 77 and the traditional tune is GOTT SEI DANK, LSB 830.

To Your temple, Lord, draw near;

We have come to meet You here.

This earth has no better place:

Here we taste our Savior's grace.

We through Him are reconciled,

We through Him became Your child.

Abba, Father, grant us grace

In Your courts to seek Your face.

While we hearken to Your Law,

Fill our souls with humble awe

Till Your Gospel brings to us

Life and light and lordliness.

While Your prophet here proclaims

Peace and pardon in Your Name,

Thru his voice, by faith may we

Hear You speaking lovingly.

While Your glorious praise is sung,

Touch our lips, unloose our tung

So our gladsome souls may bless

Christ the Lord, our Righteousness.

While the prayers of saints ascend,

God of love, to them attend.

Hear us, for Your Spirit pleads;

Hear, for Jesus intercedes.

Jesus, Human yet Divine,

Here You come in bread and wine,

In this blessed Sacrament

We in peace and joy are sent.

From Your house when we return,

May our hearts within us burn,

And at ev'ning let us say,

"We have walked with God today."

St. 1-6,8 James Montgomery, ed MDS
St. 7 MDS

The Facebook Hymn

What: I am going to quote another translation of this hymn in my sermon this Sunday, and I thought I might post this paraphrase of it.
Who: Thomas Hansen King is like the Scandinavian Isaac Watts, in that he wrote many, many hymns.
Changes: This is my up-to-date edition of the hymn. I am quite confident that it is this version that will be found in all Lutheran hymnals to come. :)
Tune: The meter is 87 87 77 88, and LSB 422 sets another translation of this hymn to DER AM KREUZ.

Post Your picture, pure and holy,

On my facebook, Savior great;

So that nothing, high or lowly,

Your blest image can delete.

Make the name below it be:

Jesus, crucified for me,

Is my life, my hope's foundation,

And my brightness and salvation!

Skriv dig, Jesu, paa mit Hjerte
Thomas Hansen Kingo
Tr. Jens Christian Aaberg, alt. MDS

God Made a Perfect Paradise

What: There is something about Holy Trinity Sunday and firsts for this blog. Last Trinity, I put forth my first translation. This Trinity, I'm putting forth my first original, based on John 3.
Note: For Holy Trinity Sunday, stanzas 3 or 6 can be left out. For Roodmas (Holy Cross Day), stanzas 1-2 and/or 7 can be left out. 
This hymn is not great, so suggestions are most welcome.
Tune: The hymn is written in Common Meter. CONSOLATION, LSB 342, would work well.

God made a perfect paradise,

Yet Eve and Adam sinned.

This great disease infected all:

One must be born again.

This second birth is from above,

Of water, Spirit, Word,

Into the Name of Jesus Christ,

Both Son of Man and Lord.

Like Moses lifted up the snake,

Man's Son is lifted high,

That all believers in the Lord

May live and never die.

For this is how God loved the world:

He gave His only Son,

That they should perish not, but live,

Who trust in Him alone.

God sent His Son into the world

Not to condemn but save;

And thru His Name we are made whole

In the baptismal wave.

Now when, in Christ, we do the truth,

We come into the light,

So all the world may clearly see

The Father's glory bright.

O Holy Spirit, grant us grace

To show our neighborhood

The life and health and love God gave

Upon the Holy Rood.

May God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Holy Ghost

Be prais'd now and forevermore

By people coast to coast.

MDS, 2012

Come, Holy Ghost, Blessed Lord

What: This is a Reformation-era translation of Martin Luther's Pentecost Hymn, Komm Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott. Miss Catherine Winkworth's "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" is the more familiar translation, found in LSB 497.

Who: Miles Coverdale completed William Tyndale's Old Testament and published the first-ever English translation of the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew, entitled the Matthew's Bible. It is Coverdale's translation of the Psalms that was in the Anglican Church's Book of Common Prayer until the 20th century. He also translated this hymn.

Note: 'Thole' means to suffer or undergo. It is related to the word 'tolerate.' "Lore venomous" is a poetic way of saying dangerous/false doctrine.

Changes: Even Coverdale acknowledged his translation was rough. I have tried to smoothen it out as best as I could, but it could still use some amending.

Tune: KOMM HEILIGER GEIST, LSB 497.

Come, Holy Ghost, blessed Lord,

Fulfill our hearts, now, with Thy grace.

And make our minds of one accord,

With love kindle them in each place.

Thou, Lord, forgivest our trespass

And call'st the folk of each country

To the right faith and trust of (Thy) grace

That they may give Thee thanks and sing to Thee.

Alleluia, alleluia!

O holy Light, principal,

The Word of Life show unto us;

And cause us to know God o'er all

For our own Father most gracious.

Lord, keep from us lore venomous

That we may follow none but Christ.

He is the truth; His Word says thus;

Cause us to set in Him alone our trust.

Alleluia, alleluia!

O holy Fire, comfort sweet,

Fill our hearts with faith and boldness,

T'abide by Thee in cold and heat;

Content to thole for righteousness.

O Lord, give strength for our weakness,

And send us help in ev'ry hour,

That we may beat all wickedness,

And bring this old Adam under Thy pow'r.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Komm, Heiliger Geist
Martin Luther
Tr. Miles Coverdale, ed. MDS

See God to Heaven Upfaring

What: This Ascension hymn has been in LCMS hymnals before. In TLH, it was Englished by Frances E Cox as "Lo, God to Heaven Ascendeth." Then, in Worship Supplement (1969), it was Englished by Martin L. Seltz as "See God to Heaven Ascending." Also, a W.J. Blew Englished it as "While Up to Heaven God Goeth" in 1846. I translated this hymn anew, but I have heavily depended on these three translations, so its almost a composite translation.
Who: Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer was a (Lutheran?) pastor in the 1600's.
Note: Bach included a setting of the last stanza in his Ascension Oratorio.
Tune: The meter is 76 76 67 76. TLH has   (LSB 354), which is the tune that I worked with. WS had ZEUCH EIN ZU DEINEN TOREN (TLH 228).

See God to heav'n upfaring

In triumph from the earth,

With horns and trumpets blaring,

All jubilant with mirth.

Sing praise to God the Lord;

Sing praise with exultation,

To Christ the King of nations,

The Lord of Hosts adored!

To greet the Lord ascending,

The heavens laugh with glee;

And, to their King attending,

The saints, whom He set free,

With myriad angels come,

With seraphs sweetly singing,

And cherub voices ringing,

They welcome YHWH home.

We know the way ascending

To our exalted Head;

We know the stairway wending

To heaven where He sped.

Our Healer goes before;

He will not here forsake us,

But to His throne He'll take us,

And open wide the door.

Our minds to heav'n are wending,

Where He prepares our place.

Our walk on earth is ending,

There to adore His grace.

Lift up your heart and soul!

Where Jesus Christ has entered,

There let your hopes be centered;

Press onward t'ward the goal. 

Let us to heav'n be springing

With humble hearts ascend.

Let us likewise be singing:

We seek You, Jesus, Friend,

You, God's annointed Son,

Our Life and Way to heaven,

To Whom all might is given,

To You our Head's true Crown.

When will that day be dawning,

When come that blessed time,

That Christ will come that morning

In majesty sublime?

Oh, quickly come and cheer

Our souls the Healer meeting,

His second coming greeting;

Sweet Day of days, appear!

Gott fähret auf gen Himmel

Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer

Tr. MDS

Lord Christ, Our Heavenly Guide

What: This is a somewhat standard evening hymn.
Who: Back in the early 1800's, David Henkel was a confessional Lutheran in America before it was cool. Long story short, he read the Book of Concord, shared it with everyone he could, and eventually started the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. Among the stuff he wrote (before he died way too young) was his translation of Luther's Small Catechism, to which he added a few hymns.
Changes: I changed a couple things to better align the stress with the text.
Tune: The meter is SM, and I think FRANCONIA, LSB 410 works well.

Lord Christ, our heav'nly guide,

We pray Thee with us stay;

Do not Thy scepter from us hide,

Lest we should go astray.

The eventide is come;

Guide us along the road

That leads to our eternal home,

Up to the throne of God.

In these last evil days

Let not Thy Word divine

Withdraw its holy lucid rays,

But in us brilliant shine.

Pure, to the end, O Lord,

May we always preserve

Thy holy sacraments and Word,

And them with care observe.

That we in quiet rest,

Our future days may spend.

May we with godliness be blest,

Our lives in peace to end.

'Till we Thy throne surround

In heav'n with shining throngs,

Thy praise from golden harps shall sound,

In sweet harmonious songs.

David Henkel, alt.