Lyrics: Joachim Neander, 1680. Translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863.
Music: LOBE DEN HERREN (composer unknown).
Theme:
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Psalm 30:12
Catherine Winkworth was a notable translator of German hymns into English; over 100 hymns are listed at HymnTime with her name as translator, including:
Fear not O Little Flock
Now Thank We All Our God
Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee (by Martin Luther)
Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to his temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.
2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what he ordaineth?
3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!
Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew
What the Almighty will do,
If with his love he befriend thee!
4 Praise to the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee,
Decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee.
How oft in grief
Hath not he brought thee relief,
Spreading his wings to o’ershade thee!
5 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen
Sound from his people again;
Gladly for aye we adore him.
This one is absolutely my favoritest praise hymn of them all. When I am in prayer and I need to burst into song, I sing this hymn and listen to it reverberate off my windshield. Then, I usually follow it up with To God Be the Glory.
What joy!
At my daughter’s wedding, she and her groom had the whole congregation rise and sing this (a capella) after she came up the aisle. The sanctuary literally buzzed with joy — all that four part harmony! It was truly a transcendant moment.