Text by Paul Gerhardt Published 1653 (1653) | Language German | |
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English Go Forth, My Heart and Seek Delight Melody Johann Georg
August Harder (de) | ||
"Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" ("Go Forth, My Heart, and Seek Delight") is a summer hymn with a text by Paul Gerhardt written in 1653.
Contents
It was first published that same year in the fifth edition of Johann Crüger's hymnal Praxis Pietatis Melica. It was sung to several melodies, the most popular one having been composed by August Harder, and became a Volkslied (folk song) in an abridged version.
It was rendered into several English-language versions. A Swedish version became a popular graduation song.
Text
Gerhardt wrote his poem in 1653, five years after the end of the Thirty Years' War.
The text of originally fifteen stanzas of six lines, each, begins with admiration of God's creation, observed in gardens and in nature. The second part, beginning with stanza 9, reflects paradise as an even greater garden.
The final two stanzas contain prayers: "... dass ich dir werd ein guter Baum" ("... that I become a good tree for you"); "Verleihe, daß zu deinem Ruhm ich deines Gartens schöne Blum und Pflanze möge bleiben" ("Grant that I may remain a beautiful flower and plant of your garden"); and "laß mich bis zur letzten Reis an Leib und Seele grünen" ("let me be green in body and soul until the final journey").
The song was first published the same year (1653) in the fifth edition of Johann Crüger's hymnal Praxis Pietatis Melica.
Many publications contain only stanzas 1 to 3 and 8. In the abridged version, the hymn became a Volkslied (folk song).
Melodies and music
When the song was first published, it was sung to the melody of "Den Herrn meine Seel erhebt". In 1667 Johann Georg Ebeling composed a new melody, published in the collection, Pauli Gerhardi Geistliche Andachten (Sacred Contemplations of Paul Gerhardt). In the collection, which was intended for church and home, the melody appeared in the soprano of a four-part setting with two instrumental parts ad libitum.
The most popular melody was composed by August Harder. It was originally intended for the poem "Die Luft ist blau, das Tal ist grün" by Ludwig Hölty. The organist Friedrich Eickhoff applied it to Gerhardt's song first in 1836. The hymn appears with this melody in the current Protestant hymnal, Evangelisches Gesangbuch, as number 503.
In the 1920s Walther Hensel wrote yet another melody which appeared in the then popular collection, Bruder Singer.
Rudolf Mauersberger composed a sacred summer music (Geistliche Sommermusik) Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud (Mauersberger) (RMWV 11).
Translations
Among several versions, Catherine Winkworth translated it as "Go Forth, My Heart, and Seek Delight".
In Sweden, as "I denna ljuva sommartid", it has become a popular graduation song together with "Den blomstertid nu kommer".