Die güldne Sonne voll Freud und Wonne

Die güldne Sonne voll Freud und Wonne. Paul Gerhardt* (1607-1676). This vigorous morning hymn was first published in Johann Georg Ebeling*’s Pauli Gerhardti Geistliche Andachten (1666-67). It had twelve 10-line stanzas, all of which are found in EG. It is remarkable for its short lines and insistent rhyming. These suit the topic of the sun rising, full of joy and bliss; although the hymn, while celebrating God as creator of morning and evening, also recognises the transience of human life, especially in stanzas 7 and 8. The tune in EG 449 is from Ebeling’s...