an pastor at Scranton, Pa.; Emmanuel Cronenwett, pastor emeritus at
Butler, Pa., and Paul E. Kretzmann, of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
Mo., Lutheran theologian and commentator. To Mattes we are indebted for
the English version of Gotter's "Friend of the weary, O refresh us" and
Albinus' "Smite us not in anger, Lord." Cronenwett and Kretzmann have
written a number of excellent original hymns in addition to their
translations. The American Lutheran Hymnal contains nine of these by the
former and seventeen from the pen of the latter. Cronenwett's hymns are
chiefly didactic, but occasionally he soars to lyrical heights, as in "Of
omnipresent grace I sing." Among Kretzmann's best efforts are "Lead on, O
Lord" and "Praise and honor to the Father." A note of praise to the Holy
Trinity is heard in practically all of Kretzmann's hymns.

The foremost translator of Swedish hymns is Ernst W. Olson, office editor
of Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, Ill. From his gifted pen we have
received the English version of such gems as Wallin's "All hail to thee,
O blessed morn," "From peaceful slumber waking," "Jerusalem, lift up thy
voice," "Mute are the pleading lips of Him," and "Heavenly Light,
benignly beaming"; Franzen's "Ajar the temple gates are swinging," "Come,
O Jesus, and prepare me," and "When vesper bells are calling";
Soderberg's "In the temple where our fathers," Geijer's "In triumph our
Redeemer," Petri's "Now hail we our Redeemer" and "Thy sacred Word, O
Lord, of old," and Carl Olof Rosenius' "With God and His mercy, His
Spirit and Word." Olson has also written a number of excellent original
hymns, including "Mine eyes unto the mountains," "Behold, by sovereign
grace alone," and "Glorious yuletide, glad bells proclaim it."

Other translators of Swedish hymns include Claude W. Foss, professor of
history at Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.; Victor O. Peterson,
formerly with the same institution, but now deceased; George H. Trabert,
Lutheran pastor at Minneapolis, Minn.; Augustus Nelson, Lutheran pastor
at Gibbon, Minn.; Olof Olsson, for many years president of Augustana
College, and August W. Kjellstrand, who until his death in 1930 was
professor of English at the same institution. Among the finest
contributions by Foss are translations of Nystrom's "O Fount of truth and
mercy," Hedborn's "With holy joy my soul doth beat," and Franzen's "Thy
scepter, Jesus, shall extend." Nelson has given us beautiful renderings
of