Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadows

Representative Text

1 Now rest beneath night's shadows
All woodlands, fields, and meadows,
The world in slumber lies.
But thou, my soul, awake thee,
To song and prayer betake thee
Let praise to thy Creator rise.

2 The rule of day is over,
And shining jewels cover
The sky above so blue.
Thus I shall shine in heaven,
Where crowns of gold are given
To all who faithful stay and true.

3 Ye members weak and tired,
Enjoy the rest desired,
The quiet sleep ye crave.
There comes a time for sleeping
In God's own faithful keeping,
When ye are bedded in your grave.

4 My tired eyes are closing,
And while I lie deep reposing,
Soul, body, where are ye?
To Thee be they commended,
O God, till night is ended;
Thy waking Eye watch over me!

5 Lord Jesus, who dost love me,
Thy pinions spread above me
And shield me well from harm.
Let angel guards attend me,
And from the foe defend me,
That I may rest without alarm.


Source: Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #54

Author: Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which con­demned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >

Translator: Herman H. Brueckner

Born: March 11, 1866, Grundy County, Iowa (birth name: Herman Heinrich Moritz Brueckner). Died: January 25, 1942, Hebron, Nebraska (funeral held in Beatrice, Nebraska). Buried: St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, Waverly, Iowa. After ordination in 1888, Brueckner pastored in Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. He later moved to Iowa City, Iowa, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Iowa State University in 1917. In 1926, he joined the faculty of Hebron College in Nebraska. In 1938, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on him. He retired as professor emeritus from Hebron College in 1941. Sources: Erickson, p. 254 Findagrave, accessed 14 Nov 2016 Hustad, p. 213 Stulken, p.… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Now rest beneath night's shadows All woodlands, fields, and meadows
Title: Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadows
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translator: Herman H. Brueckner
Meter: 7.7.6.7.7.8
Language: English
Publication Date: 1927
Copyright: Public Domain

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Hymnal for Church and Home #54

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Hymnal for Church and Home (2nd ed.) #54

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