Te Deum paraphrase

The "Te deum" text is a glorious statement of faith with rich, vivid poetic content. It is however not in a regular meter, such as a hymn text. In 1774 however, Ignaz Franz paraphrased the words into metrical format, suitable then for pairing with a hymn tune. The tune "Grosser Gott, wir loben dir" was paired with the text in Katholische Gesang-Buch in Vienna, Austria; the composer is not named. The choir will be using this hymn text and tune at worship this week, to complement their presentation of Rutter's "Te Deum." The text (four stanzas only) and tune appear in the Presbyterian Hymnal (1989) at #460. Below (reproduced from the CyberHymnal) is the complete hymn text. You can instantly see the correlation to the original "Te Deum" text found below.

Holy God, we praise Thy Name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee!
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in Heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord.

Lo! the apostolic train
Join the sacred Name to hallow;
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white robed martyrs follow;
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song goes on.

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.

Thou art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
For us sinners sacrificed,
And to death a tributary:
First to break the bars of death,
Thou has opened Heaven to faith.

From Thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
We believe that Thou shalt come
In the dreaded doomsday morning;
When Thy voice shall shake the earth,
And the startled dead come forth.

Therefore do we pray Thee, Lord:
Help Thy servants whom, redeeming
By Thy precious blood out-poured,
Thou hast saved from Satan’s scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
In the glory of the blest.

Spare Thy people, Lord, we pray,
By a thousand snares surrounded:
Keep us without sin today,
Never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
Never, Lord, abandon me.