- Source: Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud
"Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" ("Go forth, my heart, and seek delight") is a summer hymn with a text in German by the theologian Paul Gerhardt, written in 1653. It was first published in the same year in the fifth edition of Johann Crüger's hymnal, Praxis pietatis melica. The hymn was sung to several melodies, with the most popular one composed by August Harder. Later, it became a Volkslied in an abridged version.
The song was rendered into several English-language versions. A Swedish version became a popular graduation song.
History
Gerhardt wrote the poem in 1653, five years after the end of the Thirty Years' War. The original text consists of fifteen stanzas, each comprising six lines. It commences with admiration for God's creation, as observed in gardens and nature. The second part, starting from stanza 9, depicts paradise as an even grander 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.
Translations
Among several other versions, Catherine Winkworth translated it as "Go forth, my heart, and seek delight". This hymn has not become part of hymnals, possibly because it is not focused on Jesus.
In Sweden, as "I denna ljuva sommartid", it has become a popular graduation song together with "Den blomstertid nu kommer".
Text
Melodies and other 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 this 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" (The air is blue, the valley is green) by Ludwig Hölty. The organist Friedrich Eickhoff first applied it to Gerhardt's song 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 the sacred summer music (Geistliche Sommermusik) Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud (RMWV 11).
References
External links
Geh aus, mein Herz und suche Freud (Harder): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Steiger, Johann Anselm: "Geh' aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" / Paul Gerhardts Sommerlied und die Gelehrsamkeit der Barockzeit (Naturkunde, Emblematik, Theologie) [Paul Gerhardt's Summer Song and the Erudition of the Baroque], De Gruyter 2007 ISBN 9783110894288
Geh aus mein Herz on YouTube, Corona Virtual Choir (members of the MDR Rundfunkchor, 2020)