| "Glauben können wie du" | |
|---|---|
| Christian poem and hymn | |
 Helmut Schlegel OFM, inFrankfurt Cathedral 2017 | |
| Written | 2009 (2009) |
| Text | by Helmut Schlegel |
| Language | German |
| Melody | byJoachim Raabe |
"Glauben können wie du" (Being able to believe like you) is a Christian poem byHelmut Schlegel, written in 2009, and made a hymn of the genreNeues Geistliches Lied with a melody byJoachim Raabe the same year. It addressesMary, the mother of Jesus, to be imitated living thetheological virtues of faith, hope and love. The song is included in song books and the Catholic hymnalGotteslob.
The poem was written by theFranciscanHelmut Schlegel in 2009. It is in three similar stanzas, each with five uneven lines without rhyme. It addressesMary, the mother of Jesus and refers to biblical scenes from her life.[1][2]
The text has been set to music byJoachim Raabe.[1] The hymn appears in the regional part of the Catholic hymnalGotteslob of theDiocese of Limburg as GL 885.[2] It is also part ofJunges Gotteslob, the hymnal for young people,[3] and of the choral songbookDie Träume hüten (Guarding the dreams) in the sectionMaria, published by theDehm-Verlag.[4]
The song was included in a four-part setting with orchestra byPeter Reulein in his oratorioLaudato si', which premiered in 2016 at theLimburg Cathedral.[5]
The first stanza is the model for the others. In the first short line, Mary is addressed, "Glauben können wie du" in the first stanza, "Hoffen können wie du" in the second, "Lieben können wie Du". Glauben, Hoffen, Lieben relates to the teaching ofPaul the Apostle about thetheological virtues of faith, hope and love. The speaker or singer acknowledges that Mary is able to believe, hope and love, and wishes to be able to do the same.[2] The second and third line, both much longer, describe more precisely what the action comprises. The long fourth line leads to a biblical quotation. This is in the first stanza "Großes hat er getan." (Luke 1:49) from theMagnificat, in the second stanza "Was er euch sagt, das tut." (John 2:5) from theWedding at Cana, and finally "Mir geschehe dein Wort" (Luke 1:38) from theAnnunciation. The final short line of a stanza is the first to use "ich" (I) and expresses the wish of the singer to imitate Mary: "So will ich glauben (hoffen, lieben), Maria" (I want to believe (hope, love) like this, Mary.).[1][6][7]
The melody is inF major and6/8 time. It is built in six phrases of mostly two measures. The first and last lines end on long notes, while the second and third line carry their longer text in mostly even eighth-notes. The announcement of the biblical quotation is an extra measure, then the quotation is represented by a rising line which ends on the longest note of the song. The last line is a gentle downward line. The melody has been described by Manuel Braun, organist in theDiocese of Limburg,[8] as easy to learn.[2]
