O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben
| "O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben" | |
|---|---|
| Lutheran Passion hymn | |
Title page of the hymnal Praxis pietatis melica | |
| English | "O, World! behold upon the tree" |
| Catalogue | Zahn 2293 |
| Genre | Hymn on the tune "O Welt, ich muss dich lassen" |
| Text | by Paul Gerhardt |
| Language | German |
| Based on | Martin Moller: Soliloquia de passione |
| Published | 1647 in Praxis pietatis melica |
"O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben" (literally: O world, see here your life) is a Lutheran Passion hymn in German by Paul Gerhardt. In 16 stanzas of 6 lines, it was first published in 1647 in Johann Crüger's Praxis pietatis melica. The hymn is known as the source for chorales in Bach's Passions. It was translated to English in several versions, for example "O, World! behold upon the tree" by Catherine Winkworth in 1858.