From Yonder World I Come To Earth

Representative Text

1 From yonder world I come to earth,
To tell you of a Savior’s birth;
Let now the glad hosannahs ring—
Good news to fallen man I bring!

2 To you this day is born a child,
Son of a virgin undefiled;
A little babe—a gracious sight—
He’ll be your wonder and delight.

3 ’Tis Jesus Christ, the heav’nly King!
Who doth for all a ransom bring:
He will Himself the Savior be—
From all your sins He’ll set you free.

4 He brings salvation from above,
Which God for you prepared in love;
That you with us beyond the sky
May live in bliss, enthroned on high!

5 Then mark you now the signs aright—
The crib, the swaddling mean and light;
The little Babe you there shall find,
Received and hailed by all mankind.

6 Oh! let us all be glad today,
And with the shepherds homage pay:
Come, see what God to us hath giv’n,
His only Son, sent down from Heav’n.

7 Awake, my soul! from sadness rise,
Come, see what in the manger lies:
Who is this smiling infant Child?
’Tis little Jesus, sweet and mild.

8 Twice welcome, oh! Thou heavenly Guest,
To save a world with sin distressed;
Com’st Thou in lowly guise for me?
What homage shall I give to Thee!

9 Ah! Lord, eternal heav’nly King,
Hast Thou become so mean a thing;
And hast Thou left Thy blissful seat,
To rest where colts and oxen eat?

10 Were this wide world much wider made,
With gold and costly gems arrayed;
E’en then, by far too mean ’twould be,
To make a little crib for Thee.

11 No silken robes surround Thy head—
A bunch of hay is all Thy bed!
Where Thou, a king, so rich and great,
Art bright as in Thy heav’nly state.

12 All this, my Lord, has come to Thee,
That Thou might’st show Thy truth to me:
Thou, who hast made the earth and sky,
Hast deigned, a helpless babe, to lie.

13 Jesus, my Savior, come to me—
Make here a little crib for Thee;
A bed make in this heart of mine,
That I may aye remember Thine.

14 Then, from my soul glad songs shall ring—
Of Thee each day I’ll gaily sing:
The glad hosannahs will I raise
From heart that loves to sing Thy praise!

15 Praise God, ye seraphs round the throne—
Praise ye the Father and the Son;
God’s angel doth to us appear—
Then let us hail the glad New Year.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #13173

Author: Martin Luther

Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody. i. Hymn Books. 1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >

Translator: John Hunt

Hunt, John, D.D., was born at Bridgend, Perth, Jan. 21, 1827, and educated at the University of St. Andrews (D.D. 1878). In 1855 he was ordained to the curacy of Deptford, Sunderland. He held several curacies to 1878, when he became vicar of Oxford, near Sevenoaks. He was for some time on the staff of the Contemporary Review. He has published Select Poems, 1852, being translations from Goethe, Schiller, and other German poets. Also The Spiritual Songs of Martin Luther, 1853. These Songs are noted in this Dictionary under their first lines in German. Very few of them have come into common use. This volume also contains hymns founded on the German of Zinzendorf and others. The versions, however, are very free, and, at Dr. Hunt's suggestion, a… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: From yonder world I come to earth
Title: From Yonder World I Come To Earth
Author: Martin Luther
Translator: John Hunt
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Source: Geistliche Lieder (Wittenberg, Germany: 1535); Tr.: The Spiritual Songs of Martin Luther (London: Hamilton, Adams, 1853)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

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The Cyber Hymnal #13173

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