Frieden zugleich der Obrigkeit gewähre,
Frieden dem Herzen, Frieden dem Gewissen
Gib zu geniessen!
Also wird zeitlich deine Güt’ erhoben,
Also wird ewig und ohn’ Ende loben
Dich, o du Wächter deiner armen Herde,
Himmel und Erde.
The English version by Pusey is not a translation of the German but rather a free paraphrase. Philip Pusey, brother of Edward Pusey, the famous leader in the Oxford Movement, was educated at Oxford. After graduating he settled on his estate and devoted himself largely to agriculture. He wrote extensively on agricultural subjects and was one of the founders of the Royal Agriculture Society. Later he became a member of Parliament. He wrote this hymn to portray the state of the Church of England at the time, which he described as being “assailed from without, enfeebled and detracted from within, but on the eve of a great awakening.”
MUSIC. INTEGER VITAE. For comments on this tune see [Hymn 59].