Scripture Verse

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. Luke 2:29–32

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

Words: Jo­hann Franck, 1674 (Herr Je­su, Licht der Hei­den). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Cho­rale Book for Eng­land (Lon­don: Long­man, Green, Long­man & Ro­berts, 1863), num­ber 80. Ear­li­er trans­lat­ed in her Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca (Lon­don & New York: George Newnes & Charles Scrib­ner’s Sons, 1855), pag­es 149–50 (Light of the Gen­tile World!).

Music: Wie soll ich Jo­hann Crü­ger, 1653 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

Lyrics

Light of the Gentile na­tions,
Thy peo­ple’s joy and love,
Drawn by Thy Spi­rit hi­ther,
We glad­ly come to prove
Thy pre­sence in Thy tem­ple,
And wait with ear­nest mind,
As Si­me­on once had wait­ed
His Sav­ior God to find.

Yes, Lord, Thy ser­vants meet Thee,
E’en now, in ev­ery place,
Where Thy true Word hath pro­mised
That they should see Thy face.
Thou yet wilt gent­ly grant us,
Who ga­ther round Thee here,
In faith’s strong arms to bear Thee,
As once that aged seer.

Be Thou our joy, our bright­ness,
That shines ’mid pain and loss,
Our sun in times of ter­ror,
The glo­ry round our cross;
A glow in sink­ing spi­rits,
A sun­beam in dis­tress,
Physician, friend in sick­ness;
In death our hap­pi­ness.

Let us, O Lord, be faith­ful
With Si­me­on to the end,
That so his dy­ing song may
From all our hearts as­cend;
O Lord, now let Thy ser­vant
Depart in peace for aye,
Since I have seen my Sav­ior,
Have here be­held His day.

My Sav­ior, I behold Thee
Now with the eye of faith;
No foe of Thee can rob me,
Though bit­ter words he saith;
Within Thy heart abid­ing,
As Thou dost dwell in me,
No pain, no death has ter­rors
To part my soul from Thee!

illustration
Presentation in the Temple
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621–1674)