# Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen

"Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen" ("Merrily my heart shall leap") is a Christian Christmas hymn by Paul Gerhardt, originally in 15 stanzas in artful metre. It was first published, "Frölich sol mein hertze springen", in 1653 in the fifth edition of the hymnal Praxis Pietatis Melica by Johann Crüger, who also created a melody. Johann Sebastian Bach used it as a chorale in his Christmas Oratorio, with a different melody by Johann Georg Ebeling. The song is part, with twelve stanzas, of the current Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch and other songbooks.
Catherine Winkworth translated seven stanzas in 1858 as "All my heart this night rejoices". Other translations also exist.

## History

Paul Gerhardt wrote the lyrics in the first person, describing a personal reaction to the Christmas story. The hymn appeared first in the fifth edition of the hymnal Praxis Pietatis Melica by Johann Crüger in 1653. It appears in a section titled "Von der Geburt Jesu Christ" (Of the birth of Jesus Christ).
The hymn was missing in the 1854 Deutsches Evangelisches Kirchen-Gesangbuch. From the Deutsches Evangelisches Gesangbuch [de] where it appeared in eleven stanzas, it has remained in the repertory of Protestant church singing. In the current Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch, the song is EG 36. The song is part of several other hymnals and songbooks. It was regarded as ecumenical by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für ökumenisches Liedgut [de] but was not included in the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob of 2013.

### Translations

Catherine Winkworth translated seven of its twelve stanzas to English as "All my heart this night rejoices", published in the second volume of her Lyra Germanica in 1858. In a 1907 Dictionary of Hymnology. it has been regarded as a "beautiful but rather free translation". Other translations include "Let the voice of glad thanksgiving", of selected stanzas by A. T. Russell, published in the Dalston Hospital Hymn Book in 1848. "All my heart with joy is springing" is a translation of several stanzas by Dr. Kennedy, published in his Hymnologia Christiana in 1863. "Lightly bound my bosom, ringing" is a translation of the complete hymn by Dr. M. Loy, published in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal in 1880.

## Text and theme

Gerhardt originally wrote 15 stanzas of eight lines each, in an unusual and artful metre. It follows the pattern of a sermon at the time. The text begins saying "I" in a believer's personal statement, for the singer to identify with what is said. It then appeals to a "you", meaning the congregation requested to join in doing so. The song ends in a prayer.
The following table shows Gerhardt's text in the 12 stanzas contained in the Evangelisches Gesangbuch and the translation by Winkworth:
| German current lyrics | Winkworth translation |
| 1. Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen dieser Zeit, da vor Freud' alle Engel singen. Hört, hört, wie mit vollen Choren alle Luft laute ruft: Christus ist geboren! 2. Heute geht aus seiner Kammer Gottes Held, der die Welt reißt aus allem Jammer. Gott wird Mensch, dir Mensch, zugute, Gottes Kind das verbind't sich mit unserm Blute. 3. Sollt' uns Gott nun können hassen, der uns gibt, was er liebt über alle Maßen? Gott gibt unserm Leid zu wehren, seinen Sohn aus dem Thron seiner Macht und Ehren. 4. Er nimmt auf sich, was auf Erden wir getan, gibt sich dran, unser Lamm zu werden, unser Lamm, das für uns stirbet und bei Gott für den Tod Gnad und Fried erwirbet. 5. Nun er liegt in seiner Krippen, ruft zu sich mich und dich, spricht mit süßen Lippen: "Lasset fahrn, o liebe Brüder, was euch quält, was euch fehlt; ich bring alles wieder." 6. Ei, so kommt, und laßt uns laufen, stellt euch ein, groß und klein, eilt mit großen Haufen! Liebt den, der vor Liebe brennet; schaut den Stern, der euch gern Licht und Labsal gönnet. 7. Die ihr schwebt in großem Leide, sehet, hier ist die Tür zu der wahren Freude; fasst ihn wohl, er wird euch führen an den Ort, da hinfort euch kein Kreuz wird rühren. 8. Wer sich fühlt beschwert im Herzen, wer empfind’t seine Sünd und Gewissensschmerzen, sei getrost: hier wird gefunden, der in Eil machet heil die vergift'ten Wunden. 9. Die ihr arm seid und elende, kommt herbei, füllet frei eures Glaubens Hände. Hier sind alle guten Gaben und das Gold, da ihr sollt euer Herz mit laben. 10. Süßes Heil, laß dich umfangen laß mich dir, meine Zier, unverrückt anhangen! Du bist meines Lebens Leben; nun kann ich mich durch dich wohl zufrieden geben. 11. Ich bin rein um deinetwillen: Du gibst g’nug Ehr und Schmuck, mich darein zu hüllen. Ich will dich ins Herze schließen, o mein Ruhm! Edle Blum, lass dich recht genießen 12. Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren, ich will dir leben hier, dir will ich abfahren; mit dir will ich endlich schweben, voller Freud' ohne Zeit dort im andern Leben. | All my heart this night rejoices as I hear far and near sweetest angel voices. "Christ is born," their choirs are singing till the air ev'rywhere now with joy is ringing. Forth today the Conqu'ror goeth, who the foe, sin and woe, death and hell, o'erthroweth. God is man, man to deliver; His dear Son now is one with our blood forever. Shall we still dread God's displeasure, who, to save, freely gave His most cherished Treasure? To redeem us, He hath given His own Son from the throne of His might in heaven. He becomes the Lamb that taketh sin away and for aye full atonement maketh. For our life His own He tenders; and our race, by His grace, fit for glory renders. Hark! a voice from yonder manger, soft and sweet, doth entreat, "Flee from woe and danger; brethren, from all ills that grieve you you are freed; all you need I will surely give you." Come, then, banish all your sadness, one and all, great and small; come with songs of gladness. Love Him who with love is glowing; hail the star, near and far light and joy bestowing. Dearest Lord, Thee will I cherish. Though my breath fail in death, yet I shall not perish, but with Thee abide forever there on high, in that joy which can vanish never. |

## Melodies and settings

Johann Crüger first published the hymn in 1653 in the fifth edition of his hymnal Praxis Pietatis Melica, with a melody he composed himself. The melody has "leaping" features and modulates often. The last line, in the first stanza saying that Christ is born, moves downward, corresponding to a move from Heaven to Earth. Crüger also wrote a four-part setting. Burkhart M. Schürmann composed a chorale partita of all 15 stanzas, in both German and English (All my heart), for three-part choir in 2010.
The hymn was also sung with a melody which Johann Georg Ebeling created for Gerhardt's "Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen" (EG 370). It appeared in 1666 in Pauli Gerhardi Geistliche Andachten. This melody was used by Bach in a four-part setting in his Christmas Oratorio, in Part III, "Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren", reflecting the preceding aria, "Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder". Bach used the melody also in 1736 in Schemellis Gesangbuch.

## Literature

* Paul Gerhardt: Dichtungen und Schriften. Munich 1957, pp. 1–3.
* Johann Friedrich Bachmann: Paulus Gerhardts geistliche Lieder: historisch-kritische Ausgabe. Oehmigke, Berlin 1866, pp. 95–97 (Digitalisat, p. 95, at Google Books).