In peace yours, my lord

The hymnologist Friedrich Spitta, who edited a song from 1530 that goes back to the biblical Nunc dimittis

In the peace of yours, oh my Lord, is a German-language hymn that the reformer Johannes Anglicus wrote on the basis of the biblical Nunc dimittis ( Gospel according to Luke , 2.29–32), which is also known as the hymn of praise of Simeon . Anglicus wrotetwo stanzas in artistic meterin Strasbourg , whichwere intendedas a song of thanksgiving after the Lord's Supper . From 1530 they appeared in hymn books with a melodyattributed to Wolfgang Dachstein .

Friedrich Spitta revised the song in 1898. He shifted the subject from prayer for a peaceful death to express thanksgiving for the Lord's Supper and added a we -prayer as the third stanza , which asks for the consequences of communion : “Love and faithfulness” with “hand and mouth” and a place at the eternal feast . His version is in the Evangelical Hymnal (No. 222) under the heading Last Supper . The ecumenical and unity song is in the Catholic praise of God under No. 216. It appears in several other song books.

history

The song developed in four stages in the history of Christianity over almost 2000 years. First, the episode is in Luke's Gospel Presentation in the Temple tells where Maria 40 days after the birth of Jesus the result prescribed by the Jewish religion cleaning victim offereth in the temple. During this ritual in the temple, Simeon recognizes the expected Messiah in the child and starts a hymn of praise. In Latin it found its way into the Liturgy of the Hours as the Nunc dimittis , where it is prayed or sung daily in Compline . It is particularly connected to the feast of the Purification of the Virgin (today: Presentation of the Lord) on February 2nd, where the pericope is read out as the Gospel in Holy Mass to this day .

In a third step, the Nunc dimittis was used in the Reformation as a song of thanks after the Lord's Supper, first in a church ordinance from Nördlingen from 1522. A Strasbourg liturgy from 1524 specifies “after the meal”. Johannes Anglicus created a rhyming version, which first appeared in 1527 on a song sheet, which has since been lost, and which became a regular part of hymn books there from 1530. His song is a paraphrase of the Nunc dimittis , which contains its themes: Rest in peace after the sight of the light who is the Savior to all peoples, the Gentiles and especially Israel. The melody is attributed to Wolfgang Dachstein . The song appears in a treasure collection of Protestant church chants in the first century of the Reformation , which Gottlieb Freiherr von Tucher (1798–1877) published in 1848. It is in the third section, The Song of Praise of Simeoni , which contains Luther's translation of the Bible according to Luke, then Luther's adaptation With Fried und Freud I go there , followed by In peace yours . A footnote explains all three chants as also suitable for funerals.

In 1898, Friedrich Spitta , a Protestant theologian who campaigned for liturgical reforms, edited the song: He shifted the focus from individual prayer for a peaceful death to a communal prayer for a life in peace and solidarity. The Lord's Supper is an opportunity for the believer to see the light of salvation and to be strengthened for life. With minor changes, Spitta's version found its way into the Evangelical Hymnal under the number EG 222 .

In 1949 it was included in the Catholic list of standard songs of the north-west German dioceses and thus found its way into several newly published diocesan prayer and hymn books. It was also included as an ecumenical song in the Catholic praise of God from 1975 and 2013 , in the latter it is listed as GL 216 in the section “Chants - Week - Chants for Communion / Thanks after Communion”. It also appears in other song books.

text

In peace, yours from Otto Riethmüller , A new song , 1932

The lyrics from Tanner's collection on the left are juxtaposed with Spitta's three stanzas in the version of the current hymn books:

Anglicus (Tucher version)	Spitta (ground floor)
In peace, my lord , you want to let me rest now. When Bscheid was at your side, you have now watered me so that my face speaks with joy, the Savior has seen it! You have prepared a worthy guest before all peoples. Report to the face of the Gentiles in the light, makes them friends of faith. Praise and honor, great through you, Lord, Israel becomes one people.	In peace yours, my lords, let me draw my streets. As me your mouth , where known, grace you give without moderation, have my face the sel'ge light, let the Savior, look. You have prepared the rich feast of graces for me poor guest . The bread of life satisfies hunger, heals damage to my soul. For such a good, sense and courage rejoice with all you have invited. O Lord, grant that love and faithfulness in you unite us all, that hand and mouth proclaim your friendliness at every hour , until after the time we find the place ready ' at your table.

The song of 1530 corresponds to the Nunc dimittis : drive in peace after knowing the light that the Savior brings. Simeon, who saw the baby Jesus 40 days after his birth, may have meant a willingness to die. The poet begins in the first person and addresses God as his Lord, whom he asks: "Now you want to let me rest". Spitta transfers the idea to a more general meaning by formulating instead: "Let me pull my streets".

The second stanza in the Reformation version introduces the “dear guest”, by which Jesus means, a light for all peoples, including the Gentiles, and especially for Israel. Spitta changes the meaning by identifying the worshiper with the guest invited to a rich feast of graces. It offers bread of life, which connects the prayer with God and with the other believers, a reason for common praise with "meaning and courage". The Gentiles and Israel are not mentioned in its version.

The last stanza is a prayer for love and fidelity, which may unite “us all”, so that hand and mouth proclaim the kindness of God, in the expectation of a place at the meal after this time.

The meter , which Spitta adopted, follows a pattern of two short lines that rhyme, followed by a longer line. This is repeated three times in each stanza, with the three longer lines rhyming with each other: aabccbddb.

Individual evidence

↑ ( Lk 2,29-32 LUT )
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Andreas Marti: Wolfgang Herbst (Hrsg.): "222 In peace yours, o Herre mein" in song theory for the Evangelical hymn book . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht , 2011, ISBN 978-3-64-750302-8 , pp. 8-13.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gottlieb Freiherr von Tucher: Treasure of Protestant church song in the first century of the Reformation . Breitkopf & Härtel , 1848, pp. 192-193.
↑ ^a ^b ^c In peace yours, my Lord (L) / Chants - week - chants for communion / thanks after communion . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
↑ ^a ^b Maria Meesters: SWR2 song for Sunday / In peace yours, oh my lord . SWR . July 13, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
↑ In peace yours, my Lord . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
↑ Cologne (1949) No. 92, Münster (1950) No. 310.

[1] ( Lk 2,29-32 LUT )

[Marti-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Andreas Marti: Wolfgang Herbst (Hrsg.): "222 In peace yours, o Herre mein" in song theory for the Evangelical hymn book . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht , 2011, ISBN 978-3-64-750302-8 , pp. 8-13.

[Tucher-3] Gottlieb Freiherr von Tucher: Treasure of Protestant church song in the first century of the Reformation . Breitkopf & Härtel , 1848, pp. 192-193.

[Gotteslob-4] In peace yours, my Lord (L) / Chants - week - chants for communion / thanks after communion . Retrieved January 13, 2019.

[Meesters-5] Maria Meesters: SWR2 song for Sunday / In peace yours, oh my lord . SWR . July 13, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2018.

[Liederdatenbank-6] In peace yours, my Lord . Retrieved January 13, 2019.

[7] Cologne (1949) No. 92, Münster (1950) No. 310.