When my last hour is close at hand, My last sad journey taken

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When my last hour is close at hand, My last sad journey taken

Author: Nikolaus Herman (1560); Translator: Edgar Alfred Bowring (1861)
Tune: LUTHER'S HYMN
Published in 14 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 When my last hour is close at hand,
My last sad journey taken,
Do Thou, Lord Jesus! by me stand,
Let me not be forsaken.
O Lord, my spirit I resign
Into Thy loving hands divine;
'Tis safe within Thy keeping.

2 Countless as sands upon the shore,
My sins may then appall me;
Yet, though my conscience vex me sore,
Despair shall not enthrall me:
For as I draw my latest breath,
I'll think, Lord Christ! upon Thy Death,
And there find consolation.

3 I shall not in the grave remain,
Since Thou death's bonds hast severed;
But hope with Thee to rise again,
From fear of death delivered,
For where Thou art, there I shall be.
That I may ever live with Thee:
This is my joy in dying.

4 And so to Jesus Christ I'll go,
My longing arms extending;
So fall asleep in slumber deep,
Slumber that knows no ending,
Till Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
Opens the gates of bliss, leads on
To heaven, to life eternal.

Source: Church Book: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran congregations #547

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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 >

Translator: Edgar Alfred Bowring

Bowring, Edgar Alfred, was born in 1826, and was M.P. for Exeter, 1868. According to Glass (p. 183) he has also "translated two small volumes of German hymns, selected by the Queen, and privately printed for her Majesty's use." [No. 292.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) Go to person page >

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First Line:	When my last hour is close at hand, My last sad journey taken
German Title:	Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist
Author:	Nikolaus Herman (1560)
Translator:	Edgar Alfred Bowring (1861)
Meter:	8.7.8.7.8.8.7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain