Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich
"Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich" is a German Christmas carol with lyrics and melody by Nikolaus Herman. It is part of Protestant and Catholic hymnals, has inspired musical settings, and has been translated. The title is also known as "Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich".
History
The song is traditionally dated 1560, because it appeared then in eight stanzas with the melody, Zahn No. 198, in Wittenberg. The melody was connected before in 1554 with the text "Kommt her, ihr lieben Schwesterlein". An early version of text and melody appeared already around 1550 on a leaf Drey geistliche Weyhnacht/ lieder, vom Newgebornen kindlin Jesu / für die kinder im Joachimstal.Herman based the melody on the Gregorian introit antiphon for Christmas "Puer natus est nobis". The first line was often rendered as "Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich" from the beginning of the 17th century, which became the title of musical settings of the period. The hymn was translated by as "Praise God the Lord, ye sons of men". In the German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch, the hymn was adopted as EG 27, with six stanzas, and in the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob as GL 247, with four stanzas.
Musical setting
Johann Sebastian Bach composed a chorale prelude, BWV 609, in his Orgelbüchlein.Michel Corrette composed a Noel Allemand on the theme
Text and melody
Four stanzas, as in Gotteslob:in seinem höchsten Thron,
der heut schließt auf sein Himmelreich
Er kommt aus seines Vaters Schoß
und wird ein Kindlein klein,
er liegt dort elend, nackt und bloß
Er äußert sich all seiner G'walt,
wird niedrig und gering
und nimmt an eines Knechts Gestalt,
Heut schließt er wieder auf die Tür
zum schönen Paradeis;
der Cherub steht nicht mehr dafür.
Before His highest throne;
Today He opens heaven again
He leaves His heavenly Father's throne,
Is born an infant small,
And in a manger, poor and lone,
He veils in flesh His power divine
A servant's form to take;
In want and lowliness must pine
He opens us again the door
Of Paradise today;
The angel guards the gate no more,
\header
\paper
\layout
global =
sopranoVoice = \relative c''
verse = \lyricmode
right = \relative c'
left = \relative c'
sopranoVoicePart = \new Staff \with
\addlyrics
\score