'n Lied vir donker tye (Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten - Wie maar op God wil werp sy sorge) Translated title: A hymn for dark times (Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten - If thou but suffer God to guide thee)

Abstract

Die Covid-19-pandemie het groot lyding veroorsaak en die einde is nog nie in sig nie. Wat help mense in swaar tye, tydens die "lockdowns" van die lewe? Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten van Georg Neumark (1621-1681) dien as voorbeeld van 'n lied wat mense in die konteks van geleefde geloof kan bemoedig. Die lied het neerslag gevind in baie Duitse gesangboeke en vertalings daarvan is in gesangboeke oor die wéreld opgeneem. In orrel-voorspele, kantates en ander musiekwerke word dit tot klank gebring. Tydens die Eerste Wéreldoorlog het dit mense in Duitsland getroos, maar is ook vir militaristiese en patriotiese doeleindes gebruik. Die lied speel 'n prominente rol in twee films: Babette 's Feast (1987) en Vaya con Dios (2002). In beide films word getoon hoe die lied mense in die uitlewing van hul geloof 'n stem gee en hoe hulle God se stem daarin hoor. In die artikel kry die agtergrond van die lied en die oorspronklike Duitse teks aandag. Daarna word die vertaling in Afrikaans en die wysigings aan die teks krities bespreek. Ses van die sewe strofes van GBA Gerdener se vertaling in Afrikaans (1931) is opgeneem in die Psalm- en Gesangboek (1944). Vir die Psalm-en Gesangboek (1978) is die teks drasties verkort tot drie strofes. Veranderinge in die weergawe vir die Liedboek van die Kerk (2001) het die band met die oorspronklike teks verder verbreek. In samehang met die treffende melodie (en met aspekte van die ouer weergawe wat nog in mense se himniese geheues lewend is), kan die lied mense steeds bemoedig en hulle aan God se teenwoordigheid herinner. Die resepsiegeskiedenis dui op die voortgaande werking van die lied in verskillende kontekste van geleefde religie.

Translated abstract

Covid-19 has caused suffering on many levels and there is no doubt that the consequences will be feltfor years to come. During the pandemic, people were also reminded that, throughout history, people have been subjected to immense suffering. The First World War (1914-1918) ended just over a hundred years ago. In this devastating war that "had to prevent all further wars", 22 million people died. In the year it ended, the Spanish Flu broke out and another 50 million people died. Perspectives on past events that adversely affected the lives of people might help people to interpret their own situation and see the present in a different perspective. One could ask: what sustains people in difficult times? What gives them courage? What gives them resilience and helps them through lockdowns? In this article, it is argued that faith, lived religion and rituals can give people new perspectives and that hymns, that is, songs of faith, play a significant role. A hymn of German origin, Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, is presented as an example. The background to the origin of the text is given, whereafter the original German text and the Afrikaans translation, as well as the revised versions of the translation, are discussed critically. A futher discussion of the reception history of the hymn follows, showing its use during war and in two films, and how it couldfunction as an illustration of lived religion. The writer of the hymn text, Georg Neumark (1621-1681), was born during a devastating war in Germany that lasted thirty years. In his early twenties, he travelled to Königsberg to study law, but was robbed of all his earthly possessions by highway robbers mugging the mail coach. He interpreted his difficult existential circumstances from the perspective of lived religion and wrote a hymn of comfort, a "Trostlied", Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, encouraging himself and others by saying that one should let God be in control of one 's life and that one could trust God. The text contains striking alliteration and assonance that lend a poetic quality to it. It is accompanied by a touching melody that Neumark composed for the text - the only melody written by Neumark that is known. The text with seven stanzas was first published in Neumark's song collection Fortgepflanzter Musikalisch-Poetischer Lustwald (Jena, 1657) and has been translated into several languages. The English translation entitled If thou but suffer God to guide thee was done by Catherine Winkworth (1855, 1863). In 1931, GBA Gerdener translated it into Afrikaans. Six of the seven stanzas were retained in the first official hymnal in Afrikaans, Psalm- en Gesangboek (1944). The text was amended and drastically shortened to three stanzas for the second official hymnal, the Psalm- en Gesangboek (1978). More radical changes were made for the version published in the third and current official hymnal, Liedboek van die Kerk (2001). The original Afrikaans translation relied heavily on a Dutch translation by Abraham Rutgers (Liedboek voor de Kerken 1994:429). It reflected certain problems in the Dutch translation, but stayed true to the original German text. When the Afrikaans text was revised at various stages, however, the original German text and the texts on which the original was based, were not considered sufficiently. Significant features of the original text thus got lost, especially in the latest version in Afrikaans. It is argued, however, that certain aspects of the current text, coupled with aspects of the old text in Afrikaans that are still alive in the hymnic memory of people, and carried by the very fitting melody, could still sustain people in difficult times. The reception history of the hymn in contexts where the original text plays a strong role and also where translations close to the original are used, shows its use on various levels as part of the lived faith or lived religion of people. Besides being a source of comfort to civilian Germans during World War 1, the German version was also used for militaristic and patriotic purposes during the war. It plays a prominent role in two films - Babette's Feast (1987), a Danish film, and Vaya con Dios (2002), a German film. The films illustrate that God's voice can be heard in songs of faith and that this hymn can open up broader perspectives, and give people a voice in difficult circumstances. In the films, the hymn expresses gratitude, love, community and trust. The hymn can remind people that God is present in dark days and in suffering and can give hope. It can remind people of God 's love and indicate the path they need to follow. The performative power unleashed when singing the hymn, can transform people. It is argued that when the hymn is sung, space can open up and people be freed from their confinement, their lockdown and their shelters. They can sing, pray and follow God 's way - and in doing so, also comfort and support others.