Wilt Thou not, my Shepherd true

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Wilt Thou not, my Shepherd true

Author: Angelus Silesius (1657); Translator: Frances Elizabeth Cox (1841-64)
Published in 5 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	What Wondrous Love! (Lenten Meditations…

Representative Text

1 Wilt Thou not, my Shepherd true,
Spare Thy sheep, in mercy spare me?
Wilt Thou not, as shepherds do,
In Thine arms rejoicing bear me;
Bear me where all troubles cease,
Home to folds of joy and peace?

2 With thy flock I long to be,
With the flock to whom 'tis given
Safe to feed, and, praising Thee,
Roam the happy plains of heaven:
Free from fear of sinful stain,
They can never stray again.

3 Lord! I here am sore beset,
Fears at every step confound me;
Lo! my foes have spread their net,
And with craft and might surround me;
Such their snares on every side,
Safe Thy sheep can ne'er abide.

4 See, on earth's wide desert way
How my truant steps mislead me;
Bring me back, no more to stray,
In Thine own green pastures feed me.
Gather me within the fold,
Where Thy lambs Thy light behold.

Source: The Lutheran Hymnary #403

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Author: Angelus Silesius

Pen name of Johann Scheffler… Go to person page >

Translator: Frances Elizabeth Cox

Cox, Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. George V. Cox, born at Oxford, is well known as a successful translator of hymns from the German. Her translations were published as Sacred Hymns from the German, London, Pickering. The 1st edition, pub. 1841, contained 49 translations printed with the original text, together with biographical notes on the German authors. In the 2nd edition, 1864, Hymns from the German, London, Rivingtons, the translations were increased to 56, those of 1841 being revised, and with additional notes. The 56 translations were composed of 27 from the 1st ed. (22 being omitted) and 29 which were new. The best known of her translations are "Jesus lives! no longer [thy terrors] now" ; and ”Who are these like stars appeari… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Wilt Thou not, my Shepherd true
German Title:	Guter Hirte, willst Du nicht
Author:	Angelus Silesius (1657)
Translator:	Frances Elizabeth Cox (1841-64)
Meter:	7.8.7.8.7.7
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

JESUS, MEINE ZUVERSICHT (Crüger)

First published in Johann Crüger's Praxis Pietatis Melica (1653) without attribution, JESUS, MEINE ZUVERSICHT was credited to Crüger (PHH 42) in the 1668 edition of that hymnal. (The later isorhythmic RATISBON is related to this tune; see 34.) JESUS, MEINE ZUVERSICHT is named for its association w…

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JESUS, MEINE ZUVERSICHT (33523)

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