Ve mig, at jeg saa mangelund

Representative Text

1 Ve mig, at jeg saa mangelund
I Vellyst haver svevet,
Og Naadens dyrebare Stund
Saa skjødesløs henlevet!
Naar Gud sin Naadesol paany
Hver Morgen over mig lod gry,
Da lukte jeg mit Øie.

2 Ve mig, min Vantro Hjertet saa
Som med en Laas og Lænke
Tellukte, naar Gud banked paa,
Jeg vilde ei betænke,
At Jesu Naades mindste Flig
Mer end al Verden gjorde rig,
Som jeg før havde prøvet.

3 Se, jeg er den forlorne Søn,
Som selv sig vilde raade,
Og ødte bort sin Arv saa skjøn
For skidden Lyst og Baade,
Mig smagte ikke Himmel-brød,
Men Verdens Lystemad var sød,
Nu faar jeg andet finde.

4 Min Vilje dig har Modstand gjort,
Og egensindig været,
Mit Hjerte lidet eller stort
Af dig har ei begjæret;
Du var, o Gud, i ringe Agt,
Men jeg min Hu af Verdens Magt
Og Vellyst lod regjere.

5 Herfor vil din Retfærdighed,
At jeg skal Døden smage.
Jeg maa i ussel Nøgenhed
Fra Verden Afsked tage;
I Graven visner jeg som Løv,
Jeg raadner i mit eget Støv.
Jeg bliver Ormesøde.

6 Samvittigheden Vidne bær,
Thi maa jeg rentud sige,
At ingen større Synder er
I noget Verdens Rige.
Dog, naar jeg dig beskuer ret,
O Gud, jeg ser, du vil ei det,
At jeg skal saa fortvile.

7 Fyldt haver jeg min Ondskabs Skaal,
Og stor er denne Maade,
Men hvo har dog vel fundet Maal
Og Ende paa din Naade?
Din Storhed ei of Grænse veed,
Men saa er og din Kjærlighed
Og Miskund mod os Arme.

8 Hvis Hjertesuk har du ei mødt?
Hvis Raab har Gjensvar savnet?
Hvo er fra Naadens Alter stødt,
Som har det ret omfavnet?
Jeg græder, raaber, beder dig,
Jeg venter, haaber–Jesus! mig
Lad Trøst og Redning finde!

9 O Gud, min Synd du sænke ned,
Hvor Havet dybt mon være,
Ifør mig din Retfærdighed,
Forny mig til dine Ære,
Mig her et helligt Hjerte giv!
Saa faar mit Støv vel engang Liv,
Som ei har Død i Vente.

Source: Salmebog for Lutherske Kristne i Amerika #49

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Adapter: Johann Heerman

Johann Heermann's (b. Raudten, Silesia, Austria, 1585; d. Lissa, Posen [now Poland], 1647) own suffering and family tragedy led him to meditate on Christ's undeserved suffering. The only surviving child of a poor furrier and his wife, Heermann fulfilled his mother's vow at his birth that, if he lived, he would become a pastor. Initially a teacher, Heermann became a minister in the Lutheran Church in Koben in 1611 but had to stop preaching in 1634 due to a severe throat infection. He retired in 1638. Much of his ministry took place during the Thirty Years' War. At times he had to flee for his life and on several occasions lost all his possessions. Although Heermann wrote many of his hymns and poems during these devastating times, his persona… Go to person page >

Author: Johannes Tauler

Tauler, Johannes, was born at Strassburg about 1300, and seems to have been the son of Nikolus Tauler or Taweler, of Finkweiler, who in 1304 was a member of the Strassburg Town Council (Mitglied des Raths). About the year 1318 he entered the Dominican convent at Strassburg. He studied for eight years at Strassburg, where the famous Meister Eckhart (d. 1327) was Dominican Professor of Theology from 1312 to 1320. He then went to Cologne to undergo a further training, in theory and practical work, extending over four years. Thereafter he returned to Strassburg where he soon came into note as an eloquent and practical preacher. When much of Germany was laid under interdict by Pope John XXII., because of resenting his interference with the elect… Go to person page >

Translator: Søren Jonassøn

(no biographical information available about Søren Jonassøn.) Go to person page >

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First Line:	Ve mig, at jeg saa mangelund
German Title:	Weh mir, dass ich so oft und viel
Translator:	Søren Jonassøn
Adapter:	Johann Heerman
Author:	Johannes Tauler
Language:	Norwegian
Copyright:	Public Domain