Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
General Information
This is a hymn by Philipp Nicolai, (1556—1608), a German Lutheran Pastor, who is the author of two monumental hymns: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and this one. Supposedly he made this poem after a period of great torment, because of an epidemy of pestilence which had struck the village where he was pastor. The official title of this hymn (which first appeared in 1599, is Ein geistlich Brautlied der gläubigen Seelen von Jesu Christo ihrem himmlischen Bräutigam, gestellet über den 45. Psalm des Propheten David, tr. A spiritual wedding song of the faithful soul about Jesus Christ, her heavenly groom, made over the 45. psalm of the Prophet David. With this title the hymn is placed in a long tradition of a mystical spirituality, in which the allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs is always present. The hymn is also a piece of Craftmanship. The 7 verses of the hymn Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern are built on an acrostichon: Wilhelm Ernst Graf Und Herr Zu Waldeck, being a former student of Nicolai, who died 1598. Some people also see typographical art in it: When you align the text of the poem centered then the form of a cup appears, referring to the last supper. Si non e vero... The melody is generally attributed to Nicolai too.
Settings by composers
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 36
- Michael Praetorius
- Johannes Werlin
- Eva Toller (Swedish)
Original text and translations
German text
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English translation
... tr. Henry Harbaugh |
Dutch translation
...tr. J.W. Schulte Nordholt (Liedboek voor de Kerken, 157; Zingt Jubilate 706) |