"" (Blessed are you if you live simply) is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

written in 1979. The song, of the genre

Neues Geistliches Lied ''Neues Geistliches Lied'' (, ''new spiritual song''), abbreviated NGL, is a music genre of songs in German intended for church usage, and based on contemporary lyrics and with music by contemporary composers. History The idea to reach youn ...

(NGL), is included in hymnals both Protestant and Catholic, and in other songbooks.

History

The text of "" was written by and in 1979, in an effort to express faith in contemporary texts and music in a genre later known as

(NGL). The melody and a four-part setting were composed the same year by

Peter Janssens Peter Janssens (17 June 1934 – 24 December 1998) was a German musician and composer who wrote and performed incidental music for several theatres, and songs and musicals of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied, a pioneer of . He worked at a Germa ...

. The song features a list of

beatitudes The Beatitudes are sayings attributed to Jesus, and in particular eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirr ...

, similar to those in the

Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It is ...

. As in the model, the song features conditions in which a person can be blessed or happy, all structured similarly in both wording and the simple rhythm of the tune. Many of the conditions invite to be aware, and to act, such as "wenn ihr Unrecht spürt" (when you detect injustice) and "wenn ihr Güte wagt" (when you dare to be kind). The song was included in German Catholic hymnal ''

Gotteslob ''Gotteslob'' ("Praise of God") is the title of the hymnbook authorized by the Catholic dioceses in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, Luxembourg and Liège, Belgium. First published in Advent 2013, it is the current official hymnal for German-speaki ...

'' as GL 458, in the section "Leben in der Welt – Sendung und Nachfolge" (Life in the world, mission and following). In the Protestant hymnal '' Evangelisches Gesangbuch'', it is EG 651. The song is part of several songbooks, including ecumenical collections. The song is contained in a collection of mostly new sacred songs in arrangements with small or larger wind ensemble by Kurt Gäble, published by Schorer. The song is featured in a collection ''Liederwald'' (Forest of songs) of new songs for Christian services.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1979 songs Neues Geistliches Lied 20th-century hymns in German