{{Short description|1529 Lutheran hymn by Martin Luther}} {{use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox musical composition | name = "{{Lang|de|Herr Gott, dich loben wir|italic=unset}}" | type = Hymn by Martin Luther | image = Martin-Luther-1526-1.jpg | alt = | caption = The author in 1526, wedding picture {{nowrap|by Lucas Cranach}} | catalogue = Zahn&nbsp;8652 | translation = Lord God, we praise you | text = by Martin Luther | based_on = {{lang|la|Te Deum|italic=unset}} | language = German | melody = by Luther, derived from the {{nowrap|{{lang|la|Te Deum|italic=unset}}}} | published = {{Start date|1529}} | misc = }} "'''{{lang|de|Herr Gott, dich loben wir|italic=unset}}'''" (Lord God, we praise you) is a Lutheran hymn, which Martin Luther wrote in 1529 as a translation and partial paraphrase of the Latin Te Deum. It is sometimes called the '''German Te Deum'''. The hymn was first published in 1529. Its hymn tune, Zahn No.&nbsp;8652, is a simplification of the melody of the traditional {{lang|la|Te Deum|italic=unset}}.<ref name="Zahn" /> It has appeared in 24 hymnals.

== Text and melody ==

Luther translated and slightly expanded the Latin text of the Te Deum,<ref name="Text" /> which is also known as the Ambrosian Hymn, but is currently credited to Nicetas of Remesiana, a bishop of the 4th century. Luther wrote 27 verses, intending it for two responsorial groups.<ref name="Bausman" /><ref name="oll" /> The song of praise, thanks and petition is used regularly on festive occasions.

For a melody, Luther used a simplified version of the traditional melody of the early Christian Te Deum.<ref name="Bausman" /> The early tune is based on an evening song of the Greek church, which in turn may go back to early Christian rites or an evening song of the synagogue. Luther's version was first published in Joseph Klug's {{lang|de|Geistliche Lieder}} (Spiritual Songs) in Wittenberg in 1529. No copy of this edition is extant.<ref name="Melody" /><ref name="Gerhards" /> It has appeared in 24 hymnals.<ref name="Hymnary" />

== Musical settings ==

Johann Hermann Schein composed in 1618 {{lang|de|Das Tedeum|italic=unset}} for four choirs and two instrumental groups ("Capellen"); and in 1627 a setting for four-part choir and continuo.<ref name="Melody" />

Johann Sebastian Bach used parts of the text and melody in cantatas for New Year's Day, {{lang|de|''Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied'', BWV 190|italic=unset}}, and {{lang|de|''Herr Gott, dich loben wir'', BWV 16|italic=unset}}.<ref name="Melody" />

Felix Mendelssohn composed a setting ''Herr Gott, dich loben wir (Te Deum)'' for solo voices, double chorus, four trombones, strings, and organ, first performed at the Berlin Cathedral on 6 August 1843, to mark "the millennium of the founding of the German Reich".<ref name="Melody" />

== See also ==

* List of hymns by Martin Luther

== References ==

{{reflist | 30em | refs =

<ref name="Bausman">{{cite book | last = Bausman | first = Christina Lea | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Tj_2KNLi6ZEC&pg=PA33 | title = The Organ Te Deum: Its History and Practice | year = 2008 | pages = 33–36 | isbn = 0-54-959584-8<!-- 9780549595847-->}}</ref>

<ref name="Gerhards">{{cite book | last1 = Gerhards | first1 = Albert | last2 = Lurz | first2 = Friedrich | title = ''Te deum'' in ''Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche'' | publisher = Herder | location = Freiburg | volume = 9 | edition = 3 | year = 1993 | pages = 1306–1308 }}</ref>

<ref name="Text">{{cite web | url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale036-Eng3.htm | title = Herr Gott, dich loben wir / The German Tedeum / Text and Translation of Chorale | publisher = Bach Cantatas website | year = 2005 | access-date = 30 December 2014 }}</ref>

<ref name="Melody">{{cite web | url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Das-Tedeum.htm | title = Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Herr Gott, dich loben wir / Das Deutsche Tedeum ("The German Te Deum") | publisher = Bach Cantatas website | year = 2005 | access-date = 30 December 2014 }}</ref>

<ref name="Hymnary">{{cite web | url = http://www.hymnary.org/text/herr_gott_dich_loben_wir_herr_gott_wir_d | title = Herr Gott, dich loben wir, Herr Gott, wir danken | website = hymnary.org | access-date = 30 December 2014 }}</ref>

<ref name="oll">{{cite web | url = http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/754#lf0225_label_074 | title = XXVIII.: Herr Gott, dich loben wir. Lord God, thy Praise we sing. | website = oll.libertyfund.org | access-date = 4 December 2015 }}</ref>

<ref name="Zahn">{{cite book | last = Zahn | first = Johannes | author-link = Johannes Zahn | date = 1892 | title = Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder<!-- scores:Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (Zahn, Johannes) --> <!-- | url = https://archive.org/details/1508287113bsb11304503 --> | volume = V | location = Gütersloh | publisher = Bertelsmann | language = de | pages = [https://archive.org/details/1508287113bsb11304503/page/n337 328]–[https://archive.org/details/1508287113bsb11304503/page/n339 330] }}</ref>

}}

== External links ==

* Reinhard Schmidt-Rost: [http://www.ev-theol.uni-bonn.de/schlosskirche/predigtreihen/luthers-lieder/predigt-am-27.1.2013.pdf Predigt im Semesterschlußgottesdienst am 27.Januar 2013 über Luthers Te Deum, EG 191] University of Bonn {{in lang|de}}

{{German Lutheran hymns}} {{Hymn tunes by Zahn number}}

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Category:16th-century hymns in German Category:Hymn tunes Category:Hymns by Martin Luther