Stille, mein wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen

translated as
Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side

with
JESU HILF SIEGEN
ST. HELEN
FINLANDIA

I. Text: Origins

This German hymn was written by Catharina von Schlegel (1697–) and first published in Neue Sammlung geistlicher Lieder (Wernigerode, 1752 | Fig. 1). Very little is known about Schlegel, other than she corresponded with Heinrich Ernst zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, the count of Cöthen. Twenty-nine hymns of hers appeared in the 1752 collection and in Der Cöthnischen Lieder (1744). Some hymnological commentators, such as Robert Cottrill, have noted her likely involvement in the German religious group known as the Pietists, “a group that believed renewal would come through the study and preaching of God’s Word, the exercise of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet. 2:5,9), and emphasized practical Christianity lived out in daily life.”[1]

The original text appeared in six stanzas of six lines (phrases), with a recommended tune setting of “Jesu, hilf siegen, du Fürste des Lebens” (more on this below). In this publication, the text was uncredited, but according to James Mearns (1892), some marked copies in Wernigerode ascribe this hymn and others to her. It is credited to her in other collections as well. The recurring phrase “Stille, mein Wille” means “Silence, my will.”

II. Text: Translation

Schlegel’s text is known in English through the translation by Jane Borthwick (1813–1897), daughter of a successful insurance broker in Edinburgh, Scotland, and successful in her own right as a translator of German hymns. Hymnologist James Mearns, writing in 1892, said her translations had “an acceptance in hymnals only second to Miss Winkworth’s.”[1] Her translation, “Be still, my soul,” appeared in Hymns from the Land of Luther (1853 | Fig. 2).

For this hymn, Borthwick translated only five stanzas, omitting Schlegel’s third. Borthwick’s translation shifted the syllabic stress from the German dactylic 11.10.11.10.11.11 to the English iambic pentameter, 10.10.10.10.10.10, which changes the types of tunes suitable for the hymn.

III. Text: Analysis

Borthwick’s publication included the Scripture heading of Luke 21:19, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” The hymn is commonly associated with Psalm 46:10 (“Be still, and know that I am God”) but it also relates well to Psalm 131:2 (“But I have calmed and quieted my soul”) or Psalm 116:6 (“Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you,” ESV). In the second line, the concept of bearing one’s cross is associated in the Bible with a commitment to following Christ (Matt. 10:38,16:24, Mk. 8:34, Lk. 9:23). The Bible speaks often of God’s providence, provision, and faithfulness (see, for example, Heb. 10:23). The last line of the first stanza recalls another Psalm, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps. 30:5, ESV).

Regarding the opening lines of the second stanza, Lutheran scholar Thomas E. Lock made this observation:

Stanza 2 has a simple teaching: as God has worked in the past for the sake of those who believe in Him, He will continue to do so in days to come. This sung confession of faith recalls the many times God helped his people in days of old and His harkening to the prayers of a people in need (Psalm 44).[3]

In the third line of stanza 2, here again the Psalms are helpful, especially Psalm 16:8 (“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken,” ESV). The fourth line accords well with 1 Corinthians 13:12 (“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known”). The final two lines are a clear reference to the story of Jesus calming the storm, when he declared, “Peace, be still!” (Matt. 8:23-27, Mk. 4:35-41, Lk. 8:22-25).

Schlegel’s original third stanza, omitted by Borthwick, speaks of finding hope in God’s authority and protection. “Gott hat es in Händen”—God has it in his hands.

Borthwick’s third stanza speaks of personal loss, of death, which makes this hymn especially poignant in such circumstances. In the second line, the “vale of tears” is a phrase from older translations of Psalm 84:6 (see especially the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible, 1610). The final two lines possibly refer to Job’s famous utterance, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.”

The fourth stanza speaks of a future time in eternity. The first two lines allude to 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord, ESV). The rest is likely a reference to the glorious promise in Revelation 21:4 (“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away,” ESV).

Finally, the last stanza is a call to worship and a parting word of hope. The third line is almost a direct quote from Proverbs 3:6 in the KJV (“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”). The final two lines appeal once more to things to come as promised in Revelation 21:23, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

IV. Tunes

1. JESU HILF SIEGEN

In the original printing of Schlegel’s text, it appeared with a recommended tune setting of “Jesu, hilf siegen, du Fürste des Lebens,” which is a hymn by Johann Heinrich Schröder (1667–1699), first published in Geistreiches Gesang-Buch (Halle, 1697). This was repeated the following year in Geistreiches Gesang-Buch: Vormahls in Halle gedruckt (Darmstadt: Sebastian Griebel, 1698 | Fig. 3) with its own melody. The melody is notable for its opening descent of an octave and a third. In other hymnals, the melody is credited to the Darmstadt collection rather than to Schröder, meaning his authorship of the melody is not assumed.

Fig. 3. Geistreiches Gesang-Buch: Vormahls in Halle gedruckt (Darmstadt: Sebastian Griebel, 1698).

An important variant of this tune, in which the first phrase descends but returns upward, first appeared in Johann Georg Christian Störls, Neu-bezogenes davidisches Harpfen- und Psalter-Spiel (Stuttgardt: Metzler, 1744 | Fig. 4). It is conceivable Catharina von Schlegel knew and sang either of these two versions of the tune with her own text.

2. ST. HELEN

Borthwick’s translation, in its earliest years, was often set to the tune ST. HELEN by Scottish composer Walter Hately (1843–1907). Hately’s tune was written for this text and was first published in The Scottish Hymnal (Edinburgh: William Blackwood & Sons, 1872 | Fig. 5). This quickly became the preferred tune in Borthwick’s native Scotland and elsewhere. As early as 1891, Scottish hymnologist James Love said this tune was “indelibly associated with the hymn to which it is set,”[4] and an obituary for Hately in 1907 said, “His tune ST. HELEN to ‘Be still, my soul,’ has won acceptance all over Scotland for its simple, melodious expression.”[5] Borthwick almost certainly would have experienced singing this tune with her text in her lifetime.

3. FINLANDIA

The other tune most commonly attached to Borthwick’s text is FINLANDIA by Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), “An iconic Finnish composer regarded as a hero in his homeland.”[6] The hymn tune comes from his symphonic poem Finlandia, which was premiered as “Suomi Herää” (“Finland awakens”) on 4 November 1899. The piece involves a significant amount of historical context. At the time, Finland was under control of the Russian Empire, but it had enjoyed a large degree of cultural autonomy, that is until 1899 when Nicholas II exerted stricter control. Among other concerns, he imposed greater censorship over the press. In response, as a matter of protest and national pride, the people organized “Press Days,” which included a theatrical production of a series of six tableaux celebrating the history of Finland. Sibelius was commissioned to write the underscoring music for the production. The last of the six scenes, titled “Suomi Herää,” included the music later known as Finlandia. Biographer Glenda Dawn Goss summarized the action:

Despite all threats and difficulties, Finland has not merely survived, it has awakened. The shade of the benevolent Alexander II, his picture forbidden [by the Russian censors], is invoked instead, significantly, by the Spirit of History, who rises to declare that Alexander’s enlightened rule assured the Finns’ propitious future. The revered triumvirate of founding fathers “awakens” the Finns: young Runeberg listens to his muse, Lönnrot diligently records runot from two folk singers, and Snellman motivates his students. Along with an array of ethnographic objects spilling around these figures—cheese molds, rakes, shovels, and what not—stand other symbols of industrially and culturally progressive Finland: the first folk school, where children are being taught to read by their young teacher, the four speakers of each estate from the first diet, and workers who surround a papier-mâché reproduction of the first locomotive engine (the cause of considerable amusement).

… It was above all the last scene, whose awakening spring reinforced a metaphorically awakening Finland, that stayed in the minds of onlookers.[7]

The program’s writers were not just tapping into a situational response, they were tapping into a pervasive cultural affection for the idea of awakening. Goss wrote, “the phrase ‘Herää Suomi!’ (Awake, Finland!) had for several decades been the widely used metaphor for the national movement. … As a motto, ‘Herää Suomi!’, familiar from the lottery programs, lines of poetry, choral concerts, and artworks, tapped into a deep, deep well of emotions, symbols, and swelling Finnish patriotism.”[8]

Consequently, this patriotic fervor permeates much of Sibelius’ interpretive music for that scene, with music progressing energetically for several minutes, until it comes to a momentary halt, interrupted by a serene, hymn-like tune, a moment of peace in the midst of a flurry of activity. This is partly what makes this hymnic interjection so appropriate for its later pairing with Borthwick’s text, “Be still, my soul.” This hymnic portion of Sibelius’ composition includes a paraphrase (or musical homage) to a song by Finnish composer Emil Genetz, “Herää Suomi” (1882). The musical score was revised and first published as Finlandia in 1901 by Helsingfors Nya Musikhandel, then published more broadly by Breitkopf & Härtel (Fig. 6).

Finlandia was first adapted into a hymn tune for The Church Hymnary, Revised Edition (Oxford: University Press, 1927 | Fig. 7), for which the musical editor was eminent Welsh musician and scholar David Evans (1874–1948). In that collection, it was set to Borthwick’s text, and it was offered as one of two tunes, together with ST. HELEN.

This musical pairing was introduced to the United States in the Presbyterian Hymnal (1933), using a new arrangement. The handbook to that hymnal advised, “In singing, careful attention should be paid to the shading, especially where unexpected but delightful transitions occur.”[9] Reformed hymn scholar Bert Polman offered this assessment of the tune:

The melody features several repeated and varied lines. It is clearly an instrumental tune, but with diligent leadership by organists, congregations can sing the various cadential tones to their proper length. Because of the long lines, accompanists must work to keep the tempo moving. The tune is a glorious setting for harmony singing by choirs.[10]

Other scholars are less convinced as to the tune’s suitability for congregational singing. Lutheran scholar Paul Westermeyer remarked, “It is a fine orchestral piece and can be sung well by a choir that breathes well and practices it, but it is not terribly friendly for congregations unless they have unusual preparation,” and also noted how the tune has “a series of stops on long notes at the ends of phrases, which require unexpected breath support and also stop the thought so that a hymn’s meaning is hard to decipher.”[11] Hymnologist Carl P. Daw Jr. likewise expressed concern over this tune pairing, but acknowledged its popularity nonetheless:

Except for the excellent fit enjoyed by the first four words of lines 1 and 5, this tune does not really support the text very well. Long notes and accented syllables do not always align, and there are numerous instances of skewed longer words. Yet congregations seem to be willing to accept these impracticalities in order to participate in the broad and grounded sonic world of this music.[12]

This pairing has become very successful and has helped to make Finlandia one of Sibelius’ most widely known pieces.

by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
27 March 2020
rev. 12 November 2021

Footnote:

1. Robert Cottrill, “Be still, my soul,” Wordwise Hymns (3 Sept. 2018): https://wordwisehymns.com/2018/09/03/be-still-my-soul-2/

2. James Mearns, “Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel,” A Dictionary of Hymnology, ed. John Julian (London: J. Murray, 1892), p. 1009.

3. Thomas E. Lock, “Be still, my soul,” Lutheran Service Book Companion, vol. 1 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2019), p. 1086.

4. James Love, “Walter Hately,” Scottish Church Music (Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1891), p. 158: Archive.org

5. “Death of Mr. Walter Hately,” The Musical Herald, no. 708 (1 March 1907), p. 88: Google Books

6. Bryan Proksch, “Jean Sibelius,” Lutheran Service Book Companion, vol. 2 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2019), pp. 663-664.

7. Glenda Dawn Goss, Sibelius: A Composer’s Life and the Awakening of Finland (Chicago: University Press, 2009), pp. 261-262.

8. Glenda Dawn Goss, Sibelius: A Composer’s Life and the Awakening of Finland (Chicago: University Press, 2009), pp. 263.

9. William Chalmers Covert & Calvin Weiss Laufer, “Be still, my soul,” Handbook to the Hymnal (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board, 1936), p. 304.

10. Bert Polman, “FINLANDIA,” Psalter Hymnal Handbook (Grand Rapids: CRC, 1998), pp. 667-668.

11. Paul Westermeyer, “FINLANDIA,” Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2010), p. 663.

12. Carl P. Daw Jr., “Be still, my soul,” Glory to God: A Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2016), p. 778.

Recommended Resources:

Johannes Zahn, Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder, vol. 2 (Gütersloh: C. Bertelsmann, 1890), no. 3953: Archive.org

James Mearns, “Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel,” A Dictionary of Hymnology, ed. John Julian (London: J. Murray, 1892), p. 1009.

James Moffatt & Millar Patrick, “Be still, my soul,” Handbook to the Church Hymnary (Oxford: University Press, 1927), p. 190.

William Chalmers Covert & Calvin Weiss Laufer, “Be still, my soul,” Handbook to the Hymnal (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board, 1936), pp. 303-304.

Fred L. Precht, “Be still, my soul,” Lutheran Worship Hymnal Companion (St. Louis: Concordia, 1992), pp. 515–517.

Bert Polman, “FINLANDIA,” Psalter Hymnal Handbook (Grand Rapids: CRC, 1998), pp. 667-668.

James Hepokoski, “Finlandia awakens,” The Cambridge Companion to Sibelius (Cambridge: University Press, 2004), pp. 81-94.

Glenda Dawn Goss, Sibelius: A Composer’s Life and the Awakening of Finland (Chicago: University Press, 2009).

Paul Westermeyer, “FINLANDIA,” Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2010), p. 663.

Carl P. Daw Jr., “Be still, my soul,” Glory to God: A Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2016), pp. 777-778.

Robert Cottrill, “Be still, my soul,” Wordwise Hymns (3 Sept. 2018): https://wordwisehymns.com/2018/09/03/be-still-my-soul-2/

Thomas E. Lock & Joseph Herl, “Be still, my soul,” Lutheran Service Book Companion, vol. 1 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2019), pp. 1086-1088.

Gifford A. Grobien, “Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel,” Lutheran Service Book Companion, vol. 2 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2019), p. 639.

“Be still, my soul,” Hymnary.org:
https://hymnary.org/text/be_still_my_soul_the_lord_is_on_thy_side

J.R. Watson, “Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side,” Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/b/be-still,-my-soul-the-lord-is-on-thy-side