"" ("Who knows how near to me is my end?") is a Lutheran

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'' d ...

in German with lyrics by Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, written in 1686. The hymn reflects the preparation for a good death. It is sung to the melody of " Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten", and is often used for funerals. It appears in the current German Protestant hymnal (EG), but with a different melody.

Lyrics

The Countess Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, born to a noble family, received a good education in religion, Latin, history, among other sciences. She married, in 1665, to Count Albert Anton. Regarded as a forerunner of

pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...

, she wrote 587 extant songs, including Lutheran hymns such as "". The hymn's dated

autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Intern ...

is held by the Kirchenbibliothek zu

Gera Gera () is a city in the German state of Thuringia. With around 93,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Thuringia after Erfurt and Jena as well as the easternmost city of the ''Thüringer Städtekette'', an almost straight string of ...

(Church library at Gera). The hymn was first published in 1686. It appears in the current German Protestant hymnal (EG) as EG 530.

Lyrics

The poem is in twelve

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'', ; ) is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. ...

s of six lines each. Written in the first person, the singer departs from the knowledge that the time of death is uncertain, and a good death needs preparation at all times. The countess held daily meditations reflecting death, using her own and other hymns. The final two lines of eleven stanzas of her hymn are the same, like a refrain: "Mein Gott, ich bitt' durch Christi Blut: Mach's nur mit meinem Ende gut!" (My God, I pray through Christ’s blood, make sure my end is good!) In the final stanza, it is resolved for the answer after reflections: "Durch deine Gnad' und Christi Blut machst du's mit meinem Ende gut!" (Through your mercy and Christ's blood you will make sure that my end is good!).

Music

"" was traditionally sung to the 1657 melody of " Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" by Georg Neumark.

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

used the hymn in three

church cantata A church cantata or sacred cantata is a cantata intended to be performed during Christian liturgy. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, with many composers writing an extensive output: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel ...

s. In , composed in 1726 for the 16th Sunday after Trinity, he used the first stanza for the opening movement, interpolated with

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name recitativo () is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines ...

s. Max Reger composed a chorale prelude as No. 48 of his 52 chorale preludes, Op. 67, and another as part of his chorale preludes, Op. 79b. The hymn in the Protestant hymnal, EG 530, is printed with a different melody, but with the option to sing the lyrics with Neumark's familiar tune.

References

{{Lutheran hymns, state=collapsed 17th-century hymns in German Lutheran hymns Hymn tunes