Ben & Rose Do A Song In German (Short Clip)

Here’s a first for Ben & Rose’s channel – a song sung in German. In this short clip, Ben plays guitar as Rose sings a section of the hymn “Jesu, Jesu, Brunn des Lebens” (Jesus, Jesus, Fountain of Life).

Maybe they’ve performed in German before, but they don’t have any songs in the language yet on YouTube. The clip (at bottom of post) is just 37 seconds long, but gives you a nice feel for it.

This hymn is an old German one sung in Anabaptist circles, dating to at least the 1700s, when it appears to have peaked in popularity.

Ben Riehl of Lancaster County tells me that it “is a familiar hymn AND MEANINGFUL. The youth often sing it, sometimes with English choruses.” Nora Kurtz of the Geauga Amish History Center adds that it is “one of my favorite German hymns.”

Here is a recording of an Old Order Mennonite church singing it in a more traditional way, more akin to the slow-sung Ausbund hymns. I would think this rendition is closer to what most Plain community listeners would be familiar with.

Here are the lyrics in German (via Hymnary). I believe Rose is singing from verse #5:

1 Jesu, Jesu, Brunn des Lebens,
Stell, ach stell Dich bei uns ein!
Dass wir jetzund nicht vergebens
Wirken und beisammen sein.
Du verheissest ja den Deinen,
Dass Du wollest Wunder tun,
Und in ihnen willst erscheinen,
Ach, erfüll´s, erfüll´s auch nun!

2 Herr, wir tragen Deinen Namen,
Herr, wir sind auf Dich getauft,
Und Du hast zu Deinem Samen
Uns mit Deinem Blut erkauft.
O, so lass uns Dich erkennen,
Komm, erkläre selbst Dein Wort,
Dass wir Dich recht Meister nennen,
Und Dir dienen immerfort.

3 Bist Du mitten unter denen,
Welche sich nach Deinem Heil
Mit vereintem Seufzen sehnen,
O, so sei auch unser Teil!
Lehr uns singen, lehr uns beten,
Hauch uns an mit Deinem Geist,
Dass wir vor den Vater treten,
Wie es kindlich ist und heisst.

4 Sammle die zerstreuten Sinnen,
Stör die Flatterhaftigkeit,
Lass uns Licht und Kraft gewinnen,
Zu der Christen Wesenheit.
O Du Haupt der rechten Glieder!
Nimm auch uns zu solchen an;
Bring das Abgewich’ne wieder
Auf die frohe Himmelsbahn!

5 Gieb uns Augen, gieb uns Ohren,
Gieb uns Herzen, die Dir gleich,
Mach uns redlich neugeboren,
Herr, zu Deinem Himmelreich!
Ach ja! lehr uns Christen werden,
Christen, die ein Licht der Welt,
Christen, die ein Salz der Erden;
Ach ja, Herr, wie’s Dir gefällt!

And here’s the English translation (via Google Translate):

1 Jesus, Jesus, Fountain of Life,
Oh, be present with us now!
That our work and being together
May not be in vain.
You promise to your own,
That you will perform wonders,
And that you will appear among them;
Oh, fulfill it, fulfill it now!

2 Lord, we bear your name,
Lord, we are baptized in you,
And you have purchased us, your seed,
With your blood.
Oh, let us know you,
Come, explain your word yourself,
That we may rightly call you Master,
And serve you forevermore.

3 If you are in the midst of those
Who long for your salvation
With united sighs,
Oh, let us also share in it!
Teach us to sing, teach us to pray,
Breathe upon us with your Spirit,
That we may approach the Father,
As is childlike and fitting.

4 Gather our scattered thoughts,
Still our wavering minds,
Let us gain light and strength,
For the essence of Christian life.
O Head of the true members!
Accept us also as such;
Bring back what has gone astray
To the joyful path of heaven!

5 Give us eyes, give us ears,
Give us hearts that are like yours,
Make us truly born again,
Lord, for your kingdom of heaven!
Oh yes! teach us to become Christians,
Christians who are a light of the world,
Christians who are the salt of the earth;
Oh yes, Lord, as it pleases you!

Ben’s guitar sounds great and it’s interesting to see this change of pace. And Rose sings the German, which, no offense to anyone, has never struck me as the most melodic language, very nicely. I look forward to hearing the full song at some point. In the meantime enjoy a listen of the preview here:

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