Scripture Verse

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

Words: Ge­org Nie­ge (1525–1589) (Aus mein­es Herz­ens Grunde, sag ich dir Lob und Dank). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, The Cho­rale Book for Eng­land (Lon­don: Long­man, Green, Long­man, Ro­berts & Green, 1863), number 164, alt.

Music: Aus mein­es Herz­ens Grunde Neu Ca­te­chis­mus-Ge­sang­büch­lein (Ham­burg, Ger­ma­ny: 1598) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Nie­ge (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

My inmost heart now raises,
In this fair morning hour,
A song of thankful praises
To Thine al­migh­ty power;
O God, upon Thy throne,
To honor and adore Thee,
I bring my praise before Thee
Through Christ, Thine only Son.

For Thou from me hast warded
All perils of the night;
From every harm hast guarded
My soul till morning’s light;
To Thee I humbly cry,
O Sav­ior, have compassion,
And pardon my trans­gress­ion;
Have mercy, Lord most high!

And shield me from all evil,
O gracious God, this day,
From sin, and from the devil,
From shame and from dismay.
From fire’s consuming breath,
From water’s devastation,
From need and consternation,
From evil sudden death.

Let not Thine angel leave me
While here on earth I stay,
Lest Satan’s arts deceive me,
And lead my soul as­tray.
Then keep Thine angel near
At night and each new morrow
Lest soul and body sorrow
And faltering cost me dear.

Amen! I say, not fearing
That God rejects my prayer,
I doubt not He is hearing
And granting me His care;
And so I go my way,
And do not look behind me,
But ply the task assigned me,
God’s help shall be my stay.