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Now Rests Her Soul in Jesu's Arms

Representative Text

Now rests her soul in Jesu's arms,
Her body in the grave sleeps well,
His heart her death-chilled heart re-warms,
And rest more deep than tongue can tell,
Her few brief hours of conflict passed,—
She finds with Christ, her Friend, at last;
She bathes in tranquil seas of peace,
God wipes away her tears, she feels
New life that all her languor heals,
The glory of the Lamb she sees.

She hath escaped all danger now,
Her pain and sighing all are fled;
The crown of joy is on her brow,
Eternal glories o'er her shed,
In golden robes, a queen, a bride,
She standeth at her Sovereign's side,
She sees His face unveiled and bright;
With joy and love He greets her soul,
She feels herself made inly whole,
A lesser light amid His light.

The child hath now its Father seen,
And feels what kindling love may be,
And knoweth what those words may mean,
"Himself, the Father, loveth thee."
A shoreless ocean, an abyss
Unfathomed, filled with good and bliss,
Now breaks on her enraptured sight;
She sees God's face, she learneth there
What this shall be, to be His heir,
Joint-heir with Christ, her Lord, in light.

The body rests, its labours over,
And sleeps till Christ shall bid it wake;
The dust that earth and darkness cover,
Then as a sun its tomb shall break.
Ah, with what joy it rises then
To meet the perfect soul again!
Redeemed from death, no more to sever,
At that great marriage feast shall they
With all the saints their homage pay,
And worship there the Lamb for ever.

We who yet wander through the waste,
In faith long after Thee on high;
While here the bread of tears we taste,
We think upon that home of joy,
Where we (who knows how soon?) shall meet
With all the saints at Jesu's feet,
And dwell with Him for ever there.
We shall see God; how deep the bliss
We know not yet that lies in this;
Lord Jesus, come, our hearts prepare!

Source: Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year #103

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Author: J. L. K. Allendorf

Allendorf, Johann Ludwig Konrad, b. Feb. 9, 1693, at Josbach, near Marburg, Hesse, where his father was pastor. He entered the University of Giessen in 1711, but in 1713 passed on to Halle to study under Francke, and then, in 1717, became tutor in the family of Count Henkel of Odersberg. In 1723 he became tutor to the family of Count Erdmann v. Promnitz at Sorau, and in 1724 was appointed Lutheran Court preacher at Cothen, when one of the Count's daughters was married to the Prince of Anhalt-Cothen. After the death of his first wife the Prince married her younger sister, but the latter, dying in 1750, the need for a Lutheran Court preacher ceased, he being of the Reformed Confession. Allendorf was then summoned by Count Christian Ernst v. S… Go to person page >

Translator: 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 >

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Text Information

First Line: Now rests her soul in Jesu's arms
Title: Now Rests Her Soul in Jesu's Arms
German Title: Die Seele ruht in Jesu Armen
Author: J. L. K. Allendorf (1725)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1855)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
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Notes

    2. Die Seele ruht in Jesu Armen [Eternal Life.] Founded on an anonymous hymn in 5 stanzas beginning, "Ich ruhe nun in Gottes Armen," included as No. 655, in pt. ii., 1714, of Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch; but not in the Einhundert . . . Lieder, Dresden, 1694 [Leipzig Town Library]. According to Lauxmann in Koch, viii. 689, Allendorf's hymn was first printed separately. In pt. ii. of the 4th ed., 1744, of the Cothnische Lieder, as above, p. 264, in 13 st. of 101. entitled, "Of a soul blessed there with the beatific vision," Rev. xxii. 4. Written in the spirit of Canticles, it is included in full in the Neue Sammlung, Wernigerode, 1752, No. 92, but is generally abridged, Knapp, in his Evangelischer LiederSchatz., 1850, No. 3059.(ed. 1865, No. 3123) altering it and omitting stanzas vi., ix., x. Lauxmann relates that Diaconus Schlipalius, of the Holy Cross Church in Dresden, told his wife on Jan. 1,1764, while he was yet in perfect health, that he would die during the year. He comforted her apprehensions with stanzas vi.-xi. of this hymn, which consoled himself shortly before his death on April 6 of that year. The only translation in common use is:-

Now rests her soul in Jesus' arms. A good translation of stanzas i., ii., viii., xii., xiii., in the 1st Ser., 1855, of Miss Winkworth's Lyra Germanica, p. 250 (later eds. p. 252). Thence, omitting st. xii., as No. 362 in E. H. Bickersteth's Psalms & Hymns, 1858. \

-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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The Cyber Hymnal #14506
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The Cyber Hymnal #14506

The Cyber Hymnal #14506
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