For Me to Live Is Jesus

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For me to live is Jesus, To die is gain for me

Author: Anna von Stolberg; Translator (sts. 1-7): Catherine Winkworth; Translator (st. 8): Anonymous
Tune: CHRISTUS, DER IST MEIN LEBEN (Vulpius)
Published in 16 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Music for a Celebration, Set 2

Representative Text

1 For me to live is Jesus,
to die is gain for me;
so, when my Savior pleases,
I meet death willingly.

2 For Christ, my Lord and brother,
I leave this world so dim
and gladly seek another,
where I shall be with him.

3 My woes are nearly over,
though long and dark the road;
my sin his merits cover,
and I have peace with God.

4 In my last hour, Lord, grant me
a slumber soft and still,
no doubts to vex or haunt me,
safe anchored in your will.

5 Thus, bound to you, my Savior,
death's brief and harmless night
gives way to joy forever
with you in heav'nly light.

Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #848

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Author: Anna von Stolberg

(no biographical information available about Anna von Stolberg.) Go to person page >

Translator (sts. 1-7): Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >

Translator (st. 8): Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

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First Line:	For me to live is Jesus, To die is gain for me
Title:	For Me to Live Is Jesus
German Title:	Christus, der ist mein Leben
Translator (sts. 1-7):	Catherine Winkworth
Translator (st. 8):	Anonymous
Author:	Anna von Stolberg
Meter:	7.6.7.6
Source:	Ein schön geistlich Gesangbuch, Jena, 1609, sts. 1-7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

CHRISTUS, DER IST MEIN LEBEN (Vulpius)

Melchior Vulpius (PHH 397) composed this short chorale tune, published as a setting for the anonymous funeral hymn "Christus, der ist mein Leben" ("For Me to Live Is Jesus") in Vulpius's Ein Schön Geistlich Gesangbuch (1609). Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) based his Cantata 95 on this tune and provided two…

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