Gottes Stadt steht festgegründet

Gottes Stadt steht festgegründet. Karl Johann Philipp Spitta* (1801-1859). First published in Spitta’s Psalter und Harfe. 8 Zweite Sammlung Christlicher Lieder (Leipzig, 1843) in six 12-line verses. It was the final poem in the book, fittingly entitled ‘Gottes Stadt’ (‘The City of God’). It was translated by Richard Massie* as ‘By the holy hills surrounded’*, printed in all six stanzas in ‘Wesley’s Hymns’ (1876) and shortened to four stanzas in the Wesleyan Methodist Hymn Book (1904) and three in MHB. It was written and translated to the tune by Philipp Nicolai* for Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme*: By the holy hills surrounded,On her firm base securely founded,  Stands fast the city of the...