the fourth evening
song
The bright sun starts to set, soon evening will
be here,
Each labourer is tired and hopes that rest is
near:
To death I am yet one day closer than before,
Time for me
Unhurriedly
Is opening death’s door.
Here time is interchanged, with day replaced
by night,
A shadow only of the sun is still in sight!
And finally the world has lost its
gloriousness,
Grave’s black maw
And worms that gnaw
Is all that we’ll possess.
Then think, o think again, my soul, your rest
don’t seek
Within the world, in faith and fortitude so
weak!
A moment since the sun was here, now all is
dark,
With the night
The world once bright
Turns desert-like and stark.
I make my way through grass that’s hung with drops
of dew
And nature says: Just stop and ponder what’s
in view:
The morning’s blossoming, how sadly it has
pined!
What once thrived
Has not survived,
Ah! Bear all this in mind.
Be calm, my soul, for on this thought I need
to brood:
How patient my God is with me, how mild and
good,
I see my striking likeness in the hay and
flowers,
Day and night
Teach me aright
The briefness of my hours.
A thousand thanks, o God, who from eternity
Have even so for me in time cared constantly!
Right from the instant that I here on earth did
dwell
Of my clay
You have alway
Made more than I can tell.
Of sinful human blood you washed me white as
snow,
And in your Son gave me a root on which to
grow,
Have raised and nurtured me with your true
word as bread,
Yea, my soul
Is oft made whole
When by your food it’s fed.
By your great
mercy I’ve been spared all dire
Misfortune
until now, in spite of Satan’s ire,
My daily bread
on me you also have bestowed
In the cup
From which I
sup
Have grace and
mercy flowed.
But, o my God,
forgive the wrongs I would disown,
Ignore the
shoots that from the root of sin have grown,
And my bad
conscience from its bonds of sin set free,
Cast them down
And let them
drown
For ever in the
sea.
Install a watch
of guardian angels round my bed,
Let Satan never
in my house one footstep tread,
Bring heaven to
my mind, make pure my head and heart
May my soul
Remain quite
whole,
Unpierced by
flesh’s dart.
Your church
enlighten, let your glory spread out wide,
Embrace with
godly love your spiritual bride
Which in the
North you’ve nurtured to your praise,
Vengeance wreak
On those who
seek
Her harm or some
malaise.
Lord, let your blessedness
before the king’s face go,
And all his
enemies like scythed corn be brought low
Increase his
earthly glory, let his life be long
May his line
With virtues
fine
Know power both
great and strong.
O Father, in your mercy, down from heaven gaze
On all your Christendom, all misery erase!
I now am almost ready to retire to bed,
Grant that I
In you may lie
And safely rest my head.
Come, mighty angel host, on soul and body shed
God’s rest and peace, and on what else that lies
ahead!
Go sleep now, sack of worms, God’s waking call
shall be
Here anon,
But later on
To his eternity.