Mein Gott, ich weiß wohl, daß ich sterbe (alt.)

Here is my alteration of Jane Borthwick’s translation of the Death & Burial hymn, “Mein Gott, ich weiß wohl, daß ich sterbe” (Benjamin Schmolck, d. 1737), in GGELB #472 with mel. “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten,” appearing earlier in the author’s Heilige Flammen (1704) with title “Daily meditation of death,” but first in the Völlstandige Kirchen- und Haus-Music (Breslau, ca. 1700) with ascription of Schmolck’s initials. Borthwick’s translation was a syllable short in lines 1 and 3 of each stanza. For my alteration, therefore, I change lines 1 and 3, and a little more here and there as required or as suggested by the sense of the German. While Borthwick’s version retains the repetitions in the first line of each stanza, mine discards these to some extent in favor of the original meter.

 

MY God, I know I shall be dying;
My mortal life is passing hence;
In earth, where all to death is flying,
I find no lasting residence.
Then teach me by Thy heav’nly grace
With joy and peace my death to face.

2 My God, I know no sign or token
To name for me my dying hour;
How soon the earthly clay is broken,
How quickly fades the blooming flow’r!
Then make me ready constantly
In time, to meet eternity.

3 My God, I know not how I’ll suffer,
For death in many ways doth come;
To some the parting may be rougher,
Or gently as a sleep to some.
Just as Thou wilt, if but it be
To bring me, blessed Lord, to Thee!

4 My God, I know not where I’ll merit
To meet my death, nor dead to lie;
If only I may then inherit
To live on blessedness on high,
Content I’ll take what spot is mine,
Since all the earth, my Lord, is Thine.

5 Then, dearest God, when I must wander,
O bear my happy soul above,
With Christ, my Lord, forever yonder
To share Thy glory and Thy love:
Then all is right and well with me,
When, where, and how my death shall be.

Tr. Jane Borthwick, 1854, alt.


BORTHWICK (1854)

1 My God, I know that I must die:
My mortal life is passing hence;
On earth I neither hope nor try
To find a lasting residence.
Then teach me by Thy heav'nly grace
With joy and peace my death to face.

2 My God, I know not when I die;
What is the moment or the hour,
How soon the clay may broken lie,
How quickly pass away the flower:
Then may Thy child preparéd be
Through time to meet eternity.

3 My God, I know not how I die;
For death in many ways doth come,
In dark, mysterious agony,
Or gently as a sleep to some.
Just as Thou wilt, if but it be
To bring me, blesséd Lord, to Thee!

4 My God, I know not where I die,
Where is my grace, upon what strand;
Yet from its gloom I do rely
To be delivered by Thy hand.
Content, I take what spot is mine,
Since all the earth, my Lord, is Thine.

5 My gracious God, when I must die,
O bear my happy soul above,
With Christ, my Lord, eternally
To share Thy glory and Thy love:
Then all is right and well with me,
When, where, and how my death shall be.

Amen.

GERMAN

Mein Gott! ich weiß wohl, daß ich sterbe,
Der menschen leben bald vergeht;
Auch find ich hier kein solches erbe,
Das ewig in der welt besteht:
Drum zeige mir in gnaden an,
Wie ich recht selig sterben kan.

2 Mein Gott! ich weiß nicht, wenn ich sterbe,
Kein augenblick geht sicher hin!
Wie bald zerbricht doch eine scherbe;
Die blume kan ja leicht verblühn;
Drum mach mich nur stets bereit,
Hier in der zeit zur ewigkeit.

3 Mein Gott! ich weiß nicht, wie ich sterbe,
Dieweil der tod viel wege hält;
Dem einen wird das scheiden herbe,
Wann sonst ein and'rer sanfte fällt,
Doch wie du wilst, gib daß dabey
Mein ende nur vernünftig sey.

4 Mein Gott! ich weiß nicht, wo ich sterbe,
Und welcher sand mein asche deckt;
Doch wenn ich dieses nur ererbe,
Daß ich werd selig auferweckt;
So schliesse mich die erde ein,
Denn sie ist allenthalben dein.

5 Drum, liebster Gott, wenn ich werd sterben,
So nim du meine geist zu dir;
Laß mich das himmelreich ererben;
Hab ich nur diese hoffnung hier,
So gilt mirs gleich und geht mir wohl,
Wenn, wo, und wie ich sterben soll.