Nun schläfet man

Nun schläfet man. Gerhard Tersteegen* (1697-1769). First published in Tersteegen’s Geistliches Blumen-Gärtlein. Drittes Büchlein (Book III) (1745 edition), entitled ‘Andacht bey nächtlichem Wachen’ (‘Devotion for the night watch’). Its three verses (as in the ‘Abend’ (evening) section of EG (EG 480)) are a moving prayer to the God who watches and never sleeps (‘du schläfst, mein Wächter, nie’). In 1745 the melody (from the 17th century, according to EG) was entitled ‘Sie schläffet...