《One German song: Von Guten Mächten 》 By gracious powers

At the beginning of the new year, see a pastor on the Internet sharing a poem "By gracious powers", which was written by Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)  and this was the last poem written in December 1944, and later adapted into hymn. The content is very moving and I would like to share it with you.

〈By gracious powers〉

1. By faithful, quiet powers of good surrounded
   so wondrously consoled and sheltered here —
   I wish to live these days with you in spirit
   and with you enter into a new year.
2. The old year still would try our hearts to torment,
   of evil times we still do bear the weight;
   O Lord, do grant our souls, now terror-stricken,
   salvation for which you did us create.
3. And should you offer us the cup of suffering,
   though heavy, brimming full and bitter brand,
   we’ll thankfully accept it, never flinching,
   from your good heart and your beloved hand.
4.  But should you wish now once again to give us
   the joys of this world and its glorious sun,
   then we’ll recall anew what past times brought us
   and then our life belongs to you alone.
5. The candles you have brought into our darkness,
   let them today be burning warm and bright,
   and if it’s possible, do reunite us!
   We know your light is shining through the night.
6. When now the quiet deepens all around us,
   O, let our ears that fullest sound amaze
   of this, your world, invisibly expanding
   as all your children sing high hymns of praise.
7. (Refrain) (The original German is the seventh paragraph and the seventh paragraph is used as the refrain) By powers of good so wondrously protected,
   we wait with confidence, befall what may. God is with us at night and in the morning and oh, most certainly on each new day.

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• 1906 he was born on 4 February 1906 in Breslau, Germany.
• 1927 he obtained his Doctor of Theology degree (Dr. theol.) from Berlin University in 1927, when he was only 21 years old and
• 1930 he was a lecturer at the University of Berlin.
• 1933 he published "the Transformation of Leader Principle (German Führerprinzip) Concepts".
• 1935  he became one of the leaders of the "Confessing Church".  Later, he was expelled from the University of Berlin because of political factors.
• 1939 he came to the United States, but chose to return to Germany a year later.
• 1943 he was arrested in Apri, and
• 1944 from June 1st to October 10th, he wrote nine poems in prison and sent them to his friends. “By gracious powers” was the last poem he sent to his family from the Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse (German Strasse = English street) Prison in late 1944
• On April 9, 1945, the only 39-year-old Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was martyrdom in Flossenburg Concentration Camp for his insistence on faith.

This poem lyric is full of vitality, we can feel the spirit of his insistence on faith, and how it deeply touches and shakes our hearts. He obeys the call of God, upholds faith, fights against evil forces, and becomes a great testimony to our universal church and Christians!

十二月 1944年 / December 1944

所有美善力量默默圍繞
神奇美妙安慰保守
讓我與你們走過這些日子
並與你們踏入新的一年

By faithful, quiet powers of good surrounded
so wondrously consoled and sheltered here —
I wish to live these days with you in spirit
and with you enter into a new year.

儘管過去年日折磨心靈
艱困時光重擔壓迫
主啊！請讓飽受驚嚇的靈魂
得到已為我們預備的救恩

The old year still would try our hearts to torment,
of evil times we still do bear the weight;
O Lord, do grant our souls, now terror-stricken,
salvation for which you did us create.

若你遞來沉重苦杯
杯緣滿溢痛苦汁液
從你良善慈愛聖手
毫不顫抖感謝領受

And should you offer us the cup of suffering,
though heavy, brimming full and bitter brand,
we’ll thankfully accept it, never flinching,
from your good heart and your beloved hand.

若你願意再賜我們
世上歡樂陽光亮麗
我們記念如梭歲月
生命完全交託給你

But should you wish now once again to give us
the joys of this world and its glorious sun,
then we’ll recall anew what past times brought us
and then our life belongs to you alone.

請讓燭火溫暖明亮燃燒
你給黑暗中的我們燭光
請容許領我們再度相聚
明白你的光在黑夜照耀

The candles you have brought into our darkness,
let them today be burning warm and bright,
and if it’s possible, do reunite us!
We know your light is shining through the night.

寂靜深深圍著我們展開
讓我們聽見那豐富響聲
從週遭無形的世界擴散
凡你兒女盡都高聲歌頌

When now the quiet deepens all around us,
O, let our ears that fullest sound amaze
of this, your world, invisibly expanding
as all your children sing high hymns of praise.

所有美善力量奇妙遮蓋
不論如何期盼安慰
在晚上早上每個新的一天
上帝都必將與我們同在

By powers of good so wondrously protected,
we wait with confidence, befall what may.
God is with us at night and in the morning
and oh, most certainly on each new day.

Dezember 1944