A Pilgrim and a Stranger

Representative Text

1 A pilgrim and a stranger,
I journey here below;
Far distant is my country,
The home to which I go.
Here I must toil and travail,
Oft weary and opprest,
But there my God shall lead me
To everlasting rest.

2 I've met with storms and danger
E'en from my early years,
With enemies and conflicts,
With fightings and with fears.
There's nothing here that tempts me
To wish a longer stay,
So I must hasten forward,
No halting or delay.

3 It is a well-worn pathway;
A host has gone before,
The holy saints and prophets,
The patriarchs of yore.
They trod the toilsome journey
In patience and in faith;
And them I fain would follow,
Like them in life and death.

4 Who would share Abraham's blessing
Must Abraham's path pursue,
A stranger and a pilgrim,
Like him, must journey thro'.
The foes must be encountered,
The dangers must be passed;
A faithful soldier only
Receives the crown at last.

5 So I must hasten forward--
Thank God, the end will come!
This land of passing shadows
Is not my destined home.
That evermore abideth,
The everlasting city,
Jerusalem above,
This evermore abideth,
The home of light and love.

6 There still my thoughts are dwelling,
'Tis there I long to be;
Come, Lord, and call Thy servant
To blessedness with Thee.
Come, bid my toils be ended,
Let all my wand'rings cease;
Call from the wayside lodging
To Thy sweet home of peace.

7 There I shall dwell forever,
No more a parting guest,
With all Thy blood-bought children
In everlasting rest,
The pilgrim toils forgotten,
The pilgrim conflicts o'er,
All earthly griefs behind me,
Eternal joys before.

Amen.

Source: The Lutheran Hymnal #586

Author: Paul Gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which con­demned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >

Translator: Jane Borthwick

Miss Jane Borthwick, the translator of this hymn and many others, is of Scottish family. Her sister (Mrs. Eric Findlater) and herself edited "Hymns from the Land of Luther" (1854). She also wrote "Thoughts for Thoughtful Hours (1859), and has contributed numerous poetical pieces to the "Family Treasury," under the signature "H.L.L." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872.… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: A pilgrim and a stranger I journey here below
Title: A Pilgrim and a Stranger
German Title: Ich bin ein Gast auf Erden
Translator: Jane Borthwick (1858)
Author: Paul Gerhardt (1666)
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 51 of 51)
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American Lutheran Hymnal #319

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #380

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Book of Worship #380

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Christian Chorals #225

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Christian Hymns #119

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Church Book #453

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Church Book #453

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College Hymnal #357

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #517a

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #517b

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Devotional Songs #103

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Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #515

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #d2

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Gloria Deo #480

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Hosanna for the Sunday School #181

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d4

Hymns for Mothers #d2

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Hymns for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, by the Authority of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania #485

Hymns from the Land of Luther #d3

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Hymns from the Land of Luther #139

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Hymns of Worship and Service #520

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #520

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In Excelsis #791

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In Excelsis #a791

Mennonite Hymn Book #d4

Old and New Welsh and English Hymns #113a

Song-Flowers #d2

Songs of Praise #d4

Songs of Praise for Sunday Schools, Church Societies and the Home #d4

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Songs of the Christian Life #458

St. Pauls Hymnal, being a Collection of Hymns, Old and New ... Die St. Pauls Sammlung von Liedern alt und neu #d2

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Standard Hymns and Spiritual Songs #246

The Apostolic Christian Hymnal #d2

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The Book of Worship #394

The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 #397

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The Church Praise Book #422

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The Evangelical Hymnal #345

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The Evangelical Hymnal. Text edition #345

The Friends' Hymnal #d6

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The Friends' Hymnal, a Collection of Hymns and Tunes for the Public Worship of the Society #a480

The Hymns for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Congregations #d7

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The Liturgy and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum #399

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The Lutheran Hymnal #586

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The Lutheran Hymnary #504

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The Parish School Hymnal #179

The Plymouth Hymnal #d4

The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) #d4

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The Selah Song Book (Das Sela Gesangbuch) (2nd ed) #518a

The Selah Song Book. Word ed. #d4

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Training hymnal for IWH215 #9

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Worship in Song #533

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