Johann Franck

Johann Franck Poems

Johann Franck Biography

Johann Fran(c)k (June 1, 1618 – June 18, 1677) was a German lyric poet and hymnist. Franck was born in Guben, Margraviate of Brandenburg. After visiting the Latin school in Guben, he attended schools in Cottbus and Stettin, as well as the gymnasium in Thorn. After studying law at the University of Königsberg, he became a councilor in his native town, later becoming its mayor and a member of the Landtag of Lower Lusatia. He died in Guben. Under the influence of the Silesian School and of Simon Dach of Königsberg, he produced a series of poems and hymns, collected and edited by himself in two volumes (Guben, 1674), entitled: Teutsche Gedichte, enthaltend geistliches Zion samt Vaterunserharfe nebst irdischem Helicon oder Lob- , Lieb- , Leidgedichte, etc. His secular poems are forgotten; about forty of his religious songs, hymns, and psalms have been kept in the hymn books of the German Protestant Church. Some of these are the hymn for the Holy Communion "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele" ("Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness"); the Advent hymn "Komm, Heidenheiland, Lösegeld" ("Come, Ransom of our captive race;" a translation into German of J. Campanus's " Veni Redemptor gentium "); a hymn to Christ, "Jesu, meine Freude" (" Jesus, my chief pleasure "). The music for his hymns by the Guben organist Christoph Peter appeared first in the Andachtscymbeln, the oldest Guben hymn book, in 1648. In honor of Franck a simple monument has been erected at the south wall of the Guben parish church.)

The Best Poem Of Johann Franck

Jesus All My Gladness

Jesus, all my gladness,
my repose in sadness,
Jesus, heaven to me;
ah, my heart long paineth,
ah, my spirit straineth,
longeth after thee!
Thine I am, O holy Lamb;
only where thou art is pleasure,
thee alone I treasure.

Hence with earthly treasure:
thou art all my pleasure,
Jesus my desire!
Hence, for pomps I care not,
e'en as though they were not
rank and fortune's hire.
Want and gloom, cross, death, and tomb;
nought that I may suffer ever
shall from Jesus sever.

Flee, dark clouds that lower,
for my joy-bestower,
Jesus, enters in!
Joy from tribulation,
hope from desolation,
they who love God win.
Be it blame or scorn or shame,
thou art with me in earth's sadness,
Jesus, all my gladness.

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