When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand - #594 - Nikolaus Herman

"When My Last Hour Is Close at Hand"
by Nikolaus Herman, 1480-1561

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 sufferings, 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 power 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 heaven before me.

Hymn #594
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 15: 5
Author: Nikolaus Herman, 1562 (stanzas 1-4)
Author: Unknown, 1575 (stanza 5)
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1869, alt.
Titled: "Wenn mein Stuendlein vorhanden ist"
Tune: "Wenn mein Stuendlein"
1st Published in: Kirchengesaeng
Town: Frankfurt a. M., 1569