Catherine Winkworth is probably not a name familiar to you – unless you are a very assiduous reader of the small print beneath the hymn texts in the hymnal. But it is her work that opened up, for English-speaking Christians, the great wealth of the German chorale tradition. If it had not been for her translations into English, we would not have had available to us fine hymns like “Now thank we all our God”, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation,” “If thou but suffer God to guide thee,” “Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness,” “Wake, awake, for night is flying” – and many more. True, John Wesley had done translation work a century earlier – but, given his connections with the Pietist movement in Germany, he concentrated on hymns in that tradition, most particularly those written by Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, the leader of the Moravian church. These hymns have much to do with the feelings, and religion of the inner heart. It was not until the work of this young Victorian Englishwoman that we were given the sturdy hymns of Lutheran pastors who wrote of the great, objective truths of the faith. These were hymns that kept their witness sure through the fires of turbulent warfare and personal suffering. To our benefit, we can sing the words originally written in German by Paul Gerhardt, Johann Franck, Georg Neumark and Philip Nicolai.

Catherine’s Early Life⤒🔗

Catherine was born in London in 1827, but spent most of her life in Manchester – in those days a burgeoning city bustling with the vigour of industrial expansion. Britain was the most powerful nation in the world at the time; and cities like Manchester were the engine room of her wealth. When she was 18 Catherine spent a year in Dresden, and probably perfected her knowledge of the German language while she was there. Commentators on her translation work all remark that she was an intelligent woman who moved in academic circles, associating with freethinking people who were exploring the more liberal ideas of the age. Catherine apparently moved in Unitarian circles. She was a strong advocate of women’s education (supporting higher education for women, and women’s high schools and colleges). Perhaps it would seem strange that a woman with these kinds of views should have been interested in the hymns of pastors who were convinced of the objective truths of the Bible – and who declared them unequivocally in song. But it seems that she loved them, declaring in the preface of her most famous collection of translations:

Luther’s hymns are wanting in harmony and correctness of metre to a degree which often makes them jarring to our modern ears, but they are always full of fire and strength, of clear Christian faith, and brave joyful trust in God.

Catherine’s Talents←⤒🔗

Whatever Catherine’s personal theological views, she possessed remarkable linguistic and literary talents. Her knowledge of the German language, and of German poetry, have earned her wide praise. But more importantly, these were coupled with an ability to render both German words and the unique rhythm of German hymns into fine English equivalents. Catherine’s translations have given us the hymns of German pastors Gerhardt, Franck, Neumark and Nicolai, enabling us to sing their verse as heartily as did their own congregations.

As a young woman, Catherine was fascinated by, and admired greatly, a book of translations of German hymns by Frances Cox (eg “Who are these like stars appearing?”). Inspired by it, she decided to begin her own translations of German hymns, and her work appeared, with the title Lyra Germanica, in 1855. She was only 27 when she achieved this feat – and a feat it is, indeed. Her English renditions were so highly-regarded that in an era of almost unprecedented activity in hymn-writing, hymn singing and in the recovery and translation of hymns from past ages of the church, a significant number of her hymns were picked up and adopted by the compilers of the first edition (1861) of Hymns Ancient and Modern. This was by far the most-used and best-loved of English hymnals for over a century. Catherine’s translations were so close to the metre and spirit of the German originals that some them were able to be sung to the German tunes for the originals. This is the case with Joachim Neander’s “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation,” for instance. Catherine was well aware of the tone of the words in German, and commented that these German hymns were “popular and homelike” in their own language, and “must sound so in ours if (they are) to be really available for devotional purposes.” With the help of two distinguished musicians, William Sterndale Bennett and Otto Goldschmidt, she produced in 1863 The Chorale book for England: German hymns, many of them with German tunes. Her translations were specially shaped to fit the tunes. Many students of hymn-writing have noticed her predilection for the imperative voice, and her use of a type of metre reflecting the solemn mood created by the German writers she was translating. (It is also worthy of note that she, like other 19^th century hymn-writers, used language no longer found in the conversation or usual writing of her day, such as “thee” and “Thou”, and “suffer” for “allow” – as in “If thou but suffer God to guide thee” – to convey the tone of respect and reverence for the “otherness” of God she was wanting to characterise her translations.) She had hoped this Chorale Book might become widely used in the churches in England; but it appears that the popularity of Hymns Ancient and Modern tended to put all other hymnals into a shadow. As one commentator has written, “its failure to succeed, in spite of its excellence, is a further testimony to the power of Hymns Ancient and Modern.

Catherine’s Sudden Death←⤒🔗

Catherine died at the early age of 51 – quite suddenly, of heart failure, while in Geneva at a conference. She is buried in nearby Savoy. But the work of this remarkable young woman has lived on – to our profit – for over a century. Let us make a closer examination of some of her translations, and the lives of the original writers whose words she honoured.

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation”←↰⤒🔗

Joachim Neander, the writer of “Lobe den Herren” (translated by Catherine as “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation”) was regarded as one of the greatest of all German-Calvinist Reformed hymn writers. (And I know how the German Reformed churches love singing fine hymns: I have a good friend, a Presbyterian pastor in the U.S., who comes from the German Reformed churches established by emigrants to the Mid-West in the 19^th century, and who testifies to this!) Neander was born in Bremen in 1650, only two years after the Thirty Years’ War had finally been concluded by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Germany had been devastated by them; and many of its pastors had had to deal with families in terribly tragic circumstances, requiring the strongest of faith in the God of the Bible. Neander himself was a pastor in Dusseldorf; and in addition a noted scholar in theology, literature and music. Though he died when he was only 30 years old in 1680, he wrote about 60 hymns, and composed many hymn tunes. Almost all his hymns are triumphant expressions of praise to God; and this one, “Praise to the Lord,” is considered perhaps his finest. Read, sometime soon, the words of No. 327 in our Psalter Hymnal. We have here only 3 of the verses translated by Catherine, but I am sure you will find here plenty to give you appreciation for the care with which she has rendered the words of Neander. There is indeed sturdy faith here ­ in the God who cares for all He has created – and powerful reason to praise Him for it.

“Now thank we all our God”←↰⤒🔗

Martin Rinkart, the writer of “Now thank we all our God” (No. 316 in the Psalter Hymnal), was a pastor of a generation earlier than Neander. Born in 1586, he was from a poor family, so worked his way through university in Leipzig, and had served for a time as a choir boy in the St Thomas Church of that city (where J.S. Bach was later music director). Perhaps he picked up musical skills while there. He was ordained to the ministry of the Lutheran Church – and at the age of 31 was called to be the pastor of his native town, Eilenberg. He arrived there just as the awful bloodshed of the Thirty Years’ War was beginning. Because Eilenberg was a walled city, it became a refuge for those fleeing from the carnage elsewhere. Because of the resultant overcrowding, several waves of epidemic swept through the town, and famine as well. At various times armies also marched through, leaving death and destruction in their wake. The Rinkart home often provided refuge for the suffering – even though Martin at times had difficulty finding food and clothing for his own family. The plague of 1637 was especially severe. At its height Martin was the only minister left, and he often had to conduct 40 or 50 funeral services a day. Amazingly, he also wrote 67 hymns.

During the final years of these Wars Eilenberg was invaded by armies on three different occasions – once by the Austrians, and twice by the Swedish. During one of these invasions by the Swedes, there came a demand that a large tribute payment be made by these struggling local people. Rinkart himself pleaded with the Swedish army leaders. Apparently, when the Swedish commander was unwilling at first to relent, Rinkart turned to his poor people and said, “Come, my children, we can find no mercy with man; let us take refuge with God.” On his knees he led them in prayer and in the singing of a familiar hymn. This so moved the Swedish commander that he acceded to their request. This is the kind of man, and these are the kinds of circumstances, that gave us this hymn, so finely rendered in English, and so familiar to us still today. (The tune, composed by Johann Cruger in 1647, was sung to Martin’s German words; and has always been sung to Catherine’s English translation as well). It is no coincidence that some of the truest, finest and sturdiest hymns of praise to God have come from some of the most testing times in church history – and from the pens of some of those who have suffered deeply. Solid, lasting praise that means what it says does not usually come from those whose faith is shallow and lightly worn.

Let me close with these words of Martin­ and Catherine:

Now thank we all our God,
With heart, and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mother’s arms
Hath bless’d us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplex’d,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be give,
The Son, and Him Who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The One eternal God,
Whom earth and heav’n adore,
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.