HIS LOVE AND MERCY

54. Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side

Katharina von Schlegel, born c. 1697

Tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-97

The hymn is a translation of a poem by Katharina von Schlegel. She was born in Germany, 1697. No one seems to have found anything definite concerning her life, except that she wrote some hymns, one of which passed into the English language. The original, based on Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God,” had four stanzas, as follows:

Stille, mein Wille! Dein Jesus hilft siegen;

Trage geduldig das Leiden, die Not;

Gott ist’s, der alles zum besten will fügen,

Der dir getreu bleibt in Schmerzen und Tod.

Stille, mein Wille! Dein Jesus wird machen