Favourite Music

BE STILL MY SOUL

Words

1 Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2 Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3 Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

4 Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

5 Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Background Information

Verses 1, 2 and 4 appear in Liturgical Hymns Old and New at number 166 (although there are slight variations in the words). The hymn was written in German by Katharina A von Schlegel, and translated to English by Jane L Borthwick (who was a committed member of the Free Church of Scotland, and with her sister, produced ‘Hymns from the Land of Luther’). It us usually sung to ‘Finlandia’, from Jean Sibelius’s Symphonic Poem entitled Finlandia (1899).

Verse 3 (unfortunately not in Liturgical Hymns Old and New) is very fitting for funerals, but even without this verse this is an appropriate hymn for times of bereavement. Verse 5 does not appear in most standard hymn books.

The hymn is reputed to have been a favourite of the Scottish athlete Eric Liddell, of ‘Chariots of Fire’ fame. Liddell later became a missionary in China, and was imprisoned during the second world war. He is said to have taught this hymn to others in the prison camp (where he died of a brain tumour).