Lent

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth

Words:
Paul Gerhardt, 1648. Translation composite.
Music:
'An Wasserflüssen Babylon' Wolfgang Dachstein, 1525.
Setting:
"Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book", 1931.
Metre:
8 7 8 7 8 8 7 8 8 7
  1. 1A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,The guilt of all men bearing;And laden with the sins of earth,None else the burden sharing!Goes patient on, grow weak and faint,To slaughter led without complaint,That spotless life to offer;Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,Anguish and mockery, and saith,"Willing all this I suffer."
  2. 2This Lamb is Christ, the soul's great Friend,The Lamb of God, our Savior;Him God the Father chose to sendTo gain for us His favor."Go forth, My Son," the Father saith,"And free men from the fear of death,From guilt and condemnation.The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,But by Thy Passion men shall shareThe fruit of Thy salvation."
  3. 3"Yea, Father, yea, most willinglyI'll bear what Thou commandest;My will conforms to Thy decree,I do what Thou demandest."O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!The Father offers up His Son!The Son, content, descendeth!O Love, how strong Thou art to save!Thou beddest Him within the graveWhose word the mountains rendeth.
  4. 4Thou lay'st Him, Love, upon the cross,With nails and spear Him bruising;Thou slay'st Him as a lamb, His lossfrom soul and body oozing;From body 'tis the crimson floodOf precious sacrificial bloodFrom soul, the strength of anguish:My gain it is; sweet Lamb to TheeWhat can I give, whose love to meFor me doth make Thee languish?
  5. 5Lord, all my life I'll cleave to Thee,Thy love fore'er beholding,Thee ever, as Thou ever me,With loving arms enfolding.Yea, Thou shalt be my Beaconlight,To guide me safe through death's dark night.And cheer my heart in sorrow;Henceforth myself and all that's mineTo Thee, my Savior, I consign,From whom all things I borrow.
  6. 6From morn till eve my theme shall beThy mercy's wondrous measure;To sacrifice myself for TheeShall be my aim and pleasure.My stream of life shall ever beA current flowing ceaselessly,Thy constant praise outpouring.I'll treasure in my memory,O Lord, all Thou hast done for me,Thy gracious love adoring.
  7. 7Enlarge, my heart's own shrine, and swell,To thee shall now be givenA treasure that doth far excelThe worth of earth and heaven.Away with the Arabian gold,With treasures of an earthly mold!I've found a better jewel.My priceless treasure, Lord my God,Is Thy most holy, precious blood,Which flowed from wounds so cruel.
  8. 8This treasure ever I'll employ,This every aid shall yield me;In sorrow it shall be my joy,In conflict it shall shield me;In joy, the music of my feast,And when all else has lost its zest,This manna still shall feed me;In thirst my drink; in want my food;My company in solitude,To comfort and to lead me.
  9. 9Of death I am no more afraid,New life from Thee is flowing;Thy cross affords me cooling shadeWhen noonday's sun is glowing.When by my grief I am oppressed,On Thee my weary soul shall restSerenely as on pillows.Thou art my Anchor when by woeMy bark is driven to and froOn trouble's surging billows.
  10. 10And when Thy glory I shall seeAnd taste Thy kingdom's pleasure,Thy blood my royal robe shall be,My joy beyond all measure.When I appear before Thy throne,Thy righteousness shall be my crown-With these I need not hide me.And there, in garments richly wroughtAs Thine own bride, I shall be broughtTo stand in joy beside Thee.

Scripture

Topics

In the hymnals

  • Written in 1653, the words are in 20 hymnals indexed by Hymnary.org. Their history →
  • The tune, An Wasserflüssen Babylon, is in 51 hymnals. The tune →

Words, music and setting are in the public domain. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project (Brian J. Dumont), which places its own work in the public domain. The piano is the FluidR3 General MIDI sound font (MIT licence). How many hymnals print a hymn, and when it was written, is from Hymnary.org.

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