When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand

Top Text Translator Author Text Info Tune Timeline Page Scans Instances

When my last hour is close at hand, Lord Jesus Christ attend me

Translator: Catherine Winkworth; Author: Nikolaus Herman
Tune: WENN MEIN STÜNDLEIN (15671)
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

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 suff'rings, 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 pow'r 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 heav'n before me.

Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #481

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

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 >

Author: Nikolaus Herman

Herman, Nicolaus, is always associated with Joachimsthal in Bohemia, just over the mountains from Saxony. The town was not of importance till the mines began to be extensively worked about 1516. Whether Herman was a native of this place is not known, but he was apparently there in 1518, and was certainly in office there in 1524. For many years he held the post of Master in the Latin School, and Cantor or Organist and Choirmaster in the church. Towards the end of his life he suffered greatly from gout, and had to resign even his post as Cantor a number of years before his death. He died at Joachimsthal, May 3, 1561. (Koch, i. 390-398; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xii. 186-188, &c.) He was a great friend and helper of J. Mathesius (q.v.)… Go to person page >

^ top

First Line:	When my last hour is close at hand, Lord Jesus Christ attend me
Title:	When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand
German Title:	Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist
Translator:	Catherine Winkworth
Author:	Nikolaus Herman
Language:	English