Nu kom der Heyden heyland
The Mystery of the Incarnation
The Savior enters the world through the Virgin, uniting divine and human natures.
Now come, Savior of the nations, recognized as the Virgin’s child. Let the whole world marvel that God has ordained such a birth for Him.1 It wasn't through human blood or flesh, but solely through the Holy Spirit, that God’s Word became human and blossomed as the fruit of a woman’s flesh. The virgin’s body became pregnant, yet her chastity remained pure and unharmed. Many beautiful virtues shone forth: God was there upon his throne. He came from his chamber, from the pure royal hall. Both God by nature and man, he is the one champion who hastens to run his course.2
The Divine Journey and Victory
Christ descends from the Father, conquers hell, and returns to the throne to strengthen human weakness.
His journey came from the Father, and returns again to the Father. He descended into hell and rose again to the throne of God.3 You who are equal to the Father, go forth victorious in the flesh, so that your eternal divine power may uphold our weak flesh.
The Light of Faith
The light of the manger dispels darkness and establishes eternal faith.
Your manger shines bright and clear; the night brings forth a new light. Darkness cannot enter here; faith remains forever in its radiance.
A Trinitarian Doxology
The hymn concludes with a prayer of praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Praise be to God the Father; praise be to God, his only Son. Praise be to God the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Read the original Latin
Nu kom der Heyden heyland / der yungfrawen kynd erkannd. Das sych wunnder alle welt / Gott solch gepurt yhm bestelt.
Nicht von Mans blut noch von fleisch / allein von dem heyligen geyst / Ist Gottes wort worden eyn mensch / vnd bluet eyn frucht weibs fleisch.
Der yungfraw leib schwanger ward / doch bleib keuscheyt reyn beward Leucht erfur manch tugend schon / Gott da war yn seynem thron.
Er gieng aus der kamer seyn / dem könglichen saal so reyn. Gott von art vnd mensch eyn hellt / seyn weg er zu lauffen eyllt.
Seyn laufft kam vom vatter her / vnd keret wider zum vater. Fur hyn vndtern zu der hell / vnd wider zu Gottes stuel.
Der du bist dem vater gleich / fur hynnaus den syeg ym fleisch / das dein ewig gots gewalt / ynn vnns das kranck fleysch enthallt.
Dein kryppen glentzt hell vnd klar / die nacht gybt eyn new liecht dar / tunckel muß nicht komen dreyn / der glaub bleib ymer ym scheyn.
Lob sey Gott dem vatter thon / Lob sey got seym eyngen son. Lob sey got dem heyligen geyst / ymer vnnd ynn ewigkeyt.
Notes
Erfurt Enchiridion (Early Lutheran Hymns) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
- Psalms and historic prayers sequenced for you — no page-flipping or decision fatigue
- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing