In the interest of brevity and to avoid repetition, certain recurring words are abbreviated:

Hymnary is used for Mennonite Hymnary.

c. (circa) means approximate date.

Tr. is prefixed to the names of all translators.

Anon. (anonymous) means without any name acknowledged, as that of author or composer.

The word “Number” has been omitted: thus Hymn 22 means Hymn No. 22.

Cf. means compare. (Latin: confer).

The original texts of German hymns found throughout the Handbook, especially in the section of Chorales, Book IV, are the versions used in one or more of the following works: Gesangbuch mit Noten, (Berne, Ind., 1890); Gesangbuch der Mennoniten, (Canadian, 1942); The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal, (Concordia Pub. House, 1942); Gesangbuch zum gottesdienstlichen und hÄuslichen Gebrauch in Evangelischen Mennoniten-Gemeinden, (Konferenz der sÜddeutschen Mennoniten zu Ludwigshafen a. Rh. 1910); and Knapp, Evangelischer Liederschatz. Many variations occur in the texts as found in these versions, the explanation of which would require a much greater knowledge of German hymnody than the author possesses. An effort has been made to bring the spelling into conformity with the modern German practice of omitting the “h” where it was formerly used with the “th”; the use of “ss” instead of “sz”; and printing the initial letter of the pronouns referring to Deity, in lower case rather than with capitals.