Tochter Zion, freue dich - German Children's Songs - Germany - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Notes

Composer: George Frideric Handel
Lyricists: Johann Joachim Eschenburg and Friedrich Heinrich Ranke (1798-1876)

CPDL wrote: "Originally composed as 'Chor der Jünglinge' (Text: 'See the conqu'ring hero comes') in the 3rd movement of the Oratoriums Josua, Händel later inserted this choir also into 'Judas Maccabäus'.

Around 1820, Johann Joachim Eschenburg (other sources attribute it to Friedrich Heinrich Ranke) added the text 'Tochter Zion, freue dich' and turned the song into an advent carol. Currently, it belongs to the most well-known and most often sung Christmas songs in the German-speaking countries."

Comments

An Easter hymn was later written in French to the same tune by the Swiss Edmond L. Budry and was translated from French to English by Richard B. Hoyle (1875-1939) in 1923.

Here's the French Easter Hymn:

À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité !
À toi la victoire pour l'éternité !
Brillant de lumière, l'ange est descendu,
Il roule la Pierre du tombeau vaincu.
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité !
À toi la victoire pour l'éternité !

Vois-le paraître : C'est lui, c'est Jésus,
Ton Sauveur, ton Maître, Oh! ne doute plus !
Sois dans l'allégresse, peuple du Seigneur,
Et redis sans cesse : Le Christ est vainqueur !
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité !
À toi la victoire pour l'éternité !

Craindrais-je encore ? Il vit à jamais,
Celui que j'adore, le Prince de paix;
Il est ma victoire, mon puissant soutien,
Ma vie et ma gloire : non, je ne crains rien !
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité !
À toi la victoire pour l'éternité !

Here's the English Version:

Thine is the glory, risen, conqu'ring Son;
Endless is the victory, Thou o'er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.

Refrain
Thine is the glory, risen conqu'ring Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, Thou o'er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.

Refrain

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conqu'rors, through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.

Refrain

Listen

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Sung by Sonja.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Carol translated by Lisa Yannucci.

Image: The Entry into Jerusalem.