Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray

Rise, my soul, to watch and pray, From thy sleep awake thee (Winkworth)

Author: Johann Burchard Freystein; Translator: Catherine Winkworth
Tune: STRAF MICH NICHT
Published in 27 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
from your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
unawares o'ertaken;
for the foe,
well we know,
is a harvest reaping
while the saints are sleeping.

2 Watch against the devil's snares,
lest asleep he find you;
for indeed no pains he spares
to deceive and blind you.
Satan's prey
oft are they
who secure are sleeping
and no watch are keeping.

3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
with its lies defeat you
lest with bold deceptions hurled
it betray and cheat you.
Watch and see,
lest there be
faithless friends to charm you,
who but seek to harm you.

4 Watch against yourself, my soul,
lest with grace you trifle;
let not self thy thoughts control
nor God's mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
lurk within,
all your hopes to shatter;
heed not when they flatter.

5 But while watching also pray
to the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
strength and faith increasing.
so that still
mind and will
shall unite to serve him
and forever love him.


Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #873

Author: Johann Burchard Freystein

Freystein, Johann Burchard, son of A. S. Freystein, vice-chancellor of Duke August of Saxony and inspector of the Gymnasium at Weissenfels, was born at Weissenfels, April 18, 1671. At the University of Leipzig he studied law, mathematics, philosophy and architecture. He resided for some time at Berlin and Halle and then went to Dresden as assistant to a lawyer. After graduating L.L.D. at Jena in 1695, he began an independent legal practice at Dresden. In 1703 he became Rath at Gotha, but returned to Dresden in 1709 as Hof-und Justizrath, and was also, in 1713, appointed a member of the Board of Works. Enfeebled by his professional labours, he died of dropsy at Dresden, April 1, 1718 (Bode, p. 70; Blätter für Hymnologie, 1884, pp. 22-24; K… Go to person page >

Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Rise, my soul, to watch and pray, From thy sleep awake thee (Winkworth)
Title: Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray
German Title: Mache dich, mein Geist bereit
Author: Johann Burchard Freystein
Translator: Catherine Winkworth
Meter: 7.6.7.6.3.3.6.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #5813
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
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Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #472

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #253

TextPage Scan

Lutheran Service Book #663

Text

Lutheran Worship #302

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5813

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #567

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #504

Text

Christian Worship #873

Include 19 pre-1979 instances
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