O That I Had A Thousand Voices

O that I had a thousand voices, They should be raised to Christ my Lord!

Author: Johann Mentzer; Translator (English): P. C. Paulsen; Translator (Danish): N. F. S. Grundtvig
Tune: NIELSEN
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Oh, that I had a thousand voices,
They should be raised to Christ, my Lord!
My hungry soul in Him rejoices
With saints above in sweet accord.
Oh, that I might extol His name
And to the world His grace proclaim!

2 Let storms but rage, the forest felling,
Let gloomy pines their sighings raise.
But come with me, your voices swelling,
Break forth, break forth in songs of praise!
Y flowers all your splendor lend,
To praise the Lord your efforts bend.

3 Step forward, ye that life were given,
All creatures with a God-made voice,
And join with me in thanks to heaven.
Rejoice with me, rejoice, rejoice!
Let all exalt His grace in song;
He guardeth you with ramparts strong.

4 Depart, vain world, with grief and sadness,
Thou shalt no more my heart depress;
My Savior fills my soul with gladness;
He comforts me in all distress.
Be praise and honor unto Thee,
O Lord, throughout eternity!

5 My soul exalts Thy lovingkindess
Until my final hour is come;
Were I made speechless, struck with blindness,
And even losing hearth and home,
I should not cease to pray and sigh
And lift my thoughts to Thee on high.

6 The feeble thanks that I can render,
Thou slightest not, O dearest Lord!
Some day at home in heaven's splendor,
With angels' choir in sweet accord,
My grateful thanks to Thee I raise,
While thousand voices sing Thy praise.

Source: Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #14

Author: Johann Mentzer

Mentzer, Johann, was born July 27, 1658, at Jahmen, near Rothenburg, in Silesia, and became a student of theology at Wittenberg, In 1691 he was appointed pastor at Merzdorf; in 1693 at Hauswalde, near Bischofswerda; and in 1696 at Kemnitz, near Bernstadt, Saxony. He died at Kemnitz, Feb. 24, 1734 (G. F. Otto's Lexicon . . . Oberlausizischer Schriftsteller, ii., 581; ms. from Pastor Richter of Kemnitz, &c). He was a great friend of J. C. Schwedler, of Henrietta Catherine von Gersdorf, and of N. L. von Zinzendorf, all hymnwriters, and all his near neighbours. He was himself greatly tried in the furnace of affliction. He wrote a large number of hymns, over 30 of which appeared in the various hymnbooks of his time. Many of them, especially t… Go to person page >

Translator (English): P. C. Paulsen

Paul Christian Paulsen was born on March 26, 1881, in Alstrup, Jutland, Denmark. He emigrated to America in 1904, was ordained in 1911, and served as a Lutheran pastor in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, California, and Alberta, Canada. He died on July 26, 1948. NN, Hymnary Go to person page >

Translator (Danish): N. F. S. Grundtvig

Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig was the son of a pastor, and was born at Udby, in Seeland, in 1783. He studied in the University of Copenhagen from 1800-1805; and, like some other eminent men, did not greatly distinguish himself; his mind was too active and his imagination too versatile to bear the restraint of the academic course. After leaving the university he took to teaching; first in Langeland, then (1808) in Copenhagen. Here he devoted his attention to poetry, literature, and Northern antiquities. In 1810 he became assistant to his father in a parish in Jutland. The sermon he preached at his ordination, on the subject "Why has the Lord's word disappeared from His house," attracted much attention, which is rarely the case with "pro… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O that I had a thousand voices, They should be raised to Christ my Lord!
Title: O That I Had A Thousand Voices
Danish Title: O havde jeg dog tusind Tunger (O dass ich tausend Zungen hatte)
Translator (Danish): N. F. S. Grundtvig
Author: Johann Mentzer
Translator (English): P. C. Paulsen
Meter: 9.8.9.8.8.8
Source: German
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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Hymnal for Church and Home #14

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Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #14

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