Scripture Verse

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God. Wisdom of Solomon (Apocrypha) 3:1

Introduction

Words: Ed­mund S. Pal­mer, be­fore 1901 (Ye­su, Bin Ma­ri­amu). Pal­mer wrote this hymn as a re­qui­em for a mem­ber of the UMCA, and it was in­clud­ed in the Mis­sion’s Swa­hi­li Hymn Book. Pal­mer trans­lat­ed the words from Swa­hi­li to Eng­lish in 1902, when they were first print­ed pri­vate­ly. The vers­es be­low are stan­zas 2, 3 & 4 of the trans­la­tion.

Music: War­um sind die Thrä­nen Jo­hann A. Schultz, 1785 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Pal­mer (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Johann Schulz (1747–1800)

Lyrics

Think, O Lord, in mer­cy on the souls of those
Who, in faith gone from us, now in death re­pose.
Here ’mid stress and con­flict toils can ne­ver cease;
There, the war­fare end­ed, bid them rest in peace.

Often were they wound­ed in the dead­ly strife;
Heal them, Good Phy­si­cian, with the balm of life.
Every taint of ev­il, frail­ty and de­cay,
Good and gra­cious Sav­ior, cleanse and purge away.

Rest eter­nal grant them, af­ter wea­ry fight;
Shed on them the ra­di­ance of Thy heav’n­ly light.
Lead them on­ward, up­ward, to the ho­ly place,
Where Thy saints, made perf­ect, gaze up­on Thy face.