Luther availed himself with his conservative tact of all existing helps for the benefit of
public worship and private devotion. Most of his hymns and tunes rest on older foundations partly
Latin, partly German. Some of them were inspired by Hebrew Psalms. To these belong, besides,
Ein feste Burg" (Ps. 46), the following: —
"Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir" (1523).
(Out of the depths I cry to Thee. Ps. 130.)
"Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" (1523).
(Help, Lord, look down from heaven above. Ps. 12.)
On the second chapter of Luke, which is emphatically the gospel of children, are based his
truly childlike Christmas songs, —
"Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her" (1535),
(From heaven high to earth I come,)
and
"Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar" (1543).
(From heaven came the angel hosts.)
Others are free reproductions of Latin hymns, either directly from the original, or on the
basis of an older German version: as, —
"Herr Gott, dich loben wir" (1543).
(Te Deum laudamus.)
"Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, heiliger Geist" (1524).
(Veni, Creator Spiritus.)
"Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (1524).
(Veni, Redemptor gentium.)
"Gelobet seist du, Jesus Christ" (1524).
(Grates nunc omnes reddamus.)
"Mitten wir im Leben sind" (1524).
(Media vita in morte sumus.)
"Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist" (1524).
(Now we pray to the Holy Ghost.)
"Christ lag in Todesbanden" (1524).
(In the bonds of death He lay.)
"Surrexit Christus hodie.")^653Das ein tiefes Leid durchglüht."(^653) The third stanza of this resurrection hymn is very striking:—
"Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg,
Da Tod und Leben rungen:
Das Leben das behielt den Sieg,
Es hat den Tod verschlungen.
Die Schrift hat verkündet das,
Wie da ein Tod den andern frass,
Ein Spott aus dem Tod ist worden.
Hallelujah!
(That was a wondrous war, I trow,
When Life and Death together fought;
But Life hath triumphed o’er his foe.
Death is mocked and set at naught.