"When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand" by Nikolaus Herman, 1480-1561 Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878 Text From: The Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941) 1. When my last hour is close at hand, Lord Jesus Christ, attend me; Beside me then, O Savior, stand To comfort and defend me. Into Thy hands I will commend My soul at this my earthly end, And Thou wilt keep it safely. 2. My sins, dear Lord, disturb me sore, My conscience cannot slumber; But though as sands upon the shore My sins may be in number, I will not quail, but think of Thee; Thy death, Thy sorrow, borne for me, Thy sufferings, shall uphold me. 3. I am a branch in Thee, the Vine, And hence the comfort borrow That Thou wilt surely keep me Thine Through fear and pain and sorrow; And when I die, I die to Thee, Thy precious death hath won for me The life that never endeth. 4. Since Thou the power of death didst rend, In death Thou wilt not leave me; Since Thou didst into heaven ascend, No fear of death shall grieve me. For where Thou art, there shall I be That I may ever live with Thee; That is my hope when dying. 5. My spirit I commend to Thee And gladly hence betake me; Peaceful and calm my sleep shall be, No human voice can wake me. But Christ is with me through the strife, And He will bear me into life And open heaven before me. _______________________________________________________ Notes: Hymn #594 from The Lutheran Hymnal Text: John 15: 5 Author: Nikolaus Herman, 1562 (stanzas 1-4) Author: Unknown, 1575 (stanza 5) Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1869, alt. Titled: "Wenn mein Stuendlein vorhanden ist" Tune: "Wenn mein Stuendlein" 1st Published in: Kirchengesaeng Town: Frankfurt a. M., 1569 ______________________________________________________________ This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith Walther Library Concordia Theological Seminary E-mail: robert.smith@ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________