Wie lieblich ist der Maien

Wie lieblich ist der Maien. Martin Behm* (1557-1622). From Behm’s Kirchen Calender (Wittenberg, 1606), where it was entitled ‘Gebeet, Vom Meyen’. It had four stanzas, all of which are in EG. After the joyful description of May (which anticipates Schumann’s ‘Mai, lieber Mai, bald bist du wieder da!’, Album für die Jugend, no. 13), the hymn thanks God for all his gifts, and prays for the sun to come into the winter of his dark heart. It is a seasonal hymn in the ‘Natur und Jahreszeiten’ section of...