Source
O Lord, I call on your name,
for no one else can help me
in
these difficult times.
Look how the Turk rages so
cruelly!
Protect us from him, dear Lord,
and help us to fight
him!
Otherwise we are completely lost;
even though we have
hardly
incurred your wrath upon us;
but remember that we have
been baptized
bought with the blood of Christ:
therefore, have
mercy on us!
And quickly come to our aid,
Lord, let the matter be
yours,
because it concerns your holy faith
among the Christian
people:
the enemy, who causes all the misery,
wants to rob us
of it altogether.
And if you allow such suffering,
your divine
honor
and all praise for you will disappear;
I do not in my
heart trust you would allow this !
Therefore I ask you through
Jesus,
please relieve us of this burden!
Since now the Turk rages so painfully,
and no one praises you
among the dead,
who descend into Hell,
do not allow that he
eradicates us
and make your Christian people his prey;
we can
never remain silent;
we must remind you earnestly and with
patience
of Christ's great innocence,
which he has borne for
us.
Therefore I cry out to you for comfort,
help my people,
and likewise me!
I know no one else to call on.
Otherwise you would be unknown to us:
Jesus' name would no more
be mentioned;
because the heathens hate him;
and the Holy
Ghost would be mocked,
saying: Where is the God of the
Christians?
He has abandoned them completely!
Dear Lord,
consider this
and help us with all Your might
to preserve Your
honor and praise,
and remain with us, day and night,
so that
the Turk and all his hordes
will never be able to separate us from
You.
Source: Ludwig Senfl, O Herr, Ich rüf Dein’n Namen an, c. 1518. Recording: The Triumph of Maximilian I. Music of the 15th and 16th Centuries by Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer & Ludwig Senfl. The London Ambrosian Singers, John McCarthy, director. The Vienna Renaissance Players. Nonesuch (HB-73016), 1966. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/lp_the-triumph-of-maximilian-i_the-ambrosian-singers-john-mccarthy-the-vi/disc1/02.01.%2BO%2BHerr%2C%2BIch%2BR%C3%BCf%2BDein%27n%2BNamen%2BAn.mp3