Christ My Song - 1130
Ah, Jesus Lord, thou art near to me - We will we glad and rejoice in thee (Christian Gregor/Hannah K. Burlingham/
Johannes Thomas Rüegg)
We will we glad and rejoice in thee.
1. Ah, Jesus Lord, thou art near to me,
great peace flows into my heart from thee;
and thy smile of love fills me so with gladness,
this weary body forgets its sadness,
for thankful joy. PDF - Midi
2. We see thy countenance, beaming bright,
thy grace, thy beauty, by faith, not sight;
but thou art thyself to our souls revealing;
we love thee, thy presence and favour feeling,
although unseen.
3. Oh, who would only, by night and day,
be set on joying in thee alway!
He could but tell of delight abounding,
through body and soul one song resounding
"Who is like thee?"
4. To be compassionate, patient, kind,
thy pardon leaving our sins behind –
to heal us, calm us, our faint hearts cheering,
thyself to us as a Friend endearing,
is thy delight.
5. Ah, give us to find our all of joy
in thee, thy service our sweet employ;
and let our souls, with a constant yearning,
in need and love, to thyself be turning,
without a pause.
6. And when we are weeping, console us soon;
thy grace and power for thy peace make room;
thy mirrored likeness, thy praises telling,
thine own true life in our bosoms dwelling,
in love be seen.
7. Truthful, in childlike simplicity,
guileless, arrayed in humility;
be the holy wounds of thy tribulation,
the fount of our peace and our consolation,
in joy and woe.
8. Thus happy in thee till we enter heaven,
the children's gladness to us be given;
and if, peradventure, our eyes are weeping,
our hearts on thy bosom shall hush their beating,
in full repose.
9.Thou reachest us, Jesus, thy piercèd hand,
thy faithfulness, gazing, we understand;
and shamed into tears by thy love so tender
our eyes flow over, our hearts surrender
and give thee praise!
Hannah K. Burlingham, Wayside Songs, 1901, 156-158.
Translated from the German Ach mein Herr Jesu, dein Nahesein
of Christian Gregor.