Scripture Verse

I saw…the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1–4

Introduction

portrait
Martin Luther (1483–1546)

Words & Mu­sic: Mar­tin Lu­ther, 1526 (Je­saia, dem Pro­phet­en, das ge­schah). Com­po­site trans­la­tion (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Isaiah, migh­ty seer, in days of old
The Lord of all in spi­rit did be­hold
High on a lof­ty throne, in splen­dor bright,
With flow­ing train that filled the tem­ple quite.
Above the throne were state­ly se­ra­phim;
Six wings had they, these mes­sen­gers of Him.
With twain they veiled their fac­es, as was meet,
With twain in rev­er­ent awe they hid their feet,
And with the other twain aloft they soared,
One to the other called and praised the Lord:
Holy is God, the Lord of Sa­ba­oth!
Holy is God, the Lord of Sa­ba­oth!
Holy is God, the Lord of Sa­ba­oth!
Behold, His glo­ry fill­eth all the earth!

The beams and lin­tels tremb­led at the cry,
And clouds of smoke en­wrapped the throne on high.