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1 "Wake, awake, for night is flying,"
the watchmen on the heights are crying;
"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"
Midnight hears the welcome voices
and at the thrilling cry rejoices:
"Where are the virgins pure and wise?
The Bridegroom comes: Awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care and faith's bold prayer,
to meet the Bridegroom, come, prepare!"
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
and in her heart new joy is springing.
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious
and strong in grace, in truth victorious.
Her star is risen, her light is come!
Now come, O Blessed One,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son.
Sing hosanna!
We answer all in joy your call;
we follow to the wedding hall.
3 Lamb of God, the heavens adore you,
the saints and angels sing before you
with harp and cymbals' clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
where, joining with the choir immortal,
we gather round your radiant throne.
No eye has seen that light,
no ear the echoed might
of your glory;
yet there shall we in victory
sing shouts of joy eternally!
Psalter Hymnal, 1987
First Line: | Wake, awake, for night is flying |
Title: | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying |
German Title: | Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme |
Author: | Philipp Nicolai (1599) |
Author: | Catherine Winkworth |
Meter: | Irregular |
Language: | English |
Liturgical Use: | Scripture Songs |
Philipp Nicolai was a German minister whose parish of Unna in Westphalia was struck with a pestilence that killed 1300 people in the six months from July 1597 to January 1598. During that time, when he performed as many as thirty burials in one day, Nicolai began to meditate on what he called “the noble, sublime doctrine of Eternal Life obtained through the Blood of Christ” (as quoted in John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, vol. 1, p. 805). The result of his meditation was a book titled Freuden-Spiegel des ewigen Lebens (Mirror of the Joy of Eternal Life), which was published in 1599 at Frankfurt-am-Main. The text of this hymn was included.
Numerous translations have been made of this text. One of the best-known and most popular is by Catherine Winkworth, and appeared in her second series of Lyra Germanica in 1858. Many hymnals have altered Winkworth's translation or made a composite translation based on hers, though the three-stanza structure and basic meaning are retained.
WACHET AUF is usually regarded as composed by Philipp Nicolai, but he may have borrowed parts of the tune from other sources such as the melody “Silberweise” by Hans Sachs (1494-1576) or the fifth Gregorian psalm tone. It was published with this text, for which it is named, in Nicolai's Freuden-Spiegel in 1599. Like many German chorale tunes, WACHET AUF has two versions for the rhythm. The original version is called the rhythmic version, because it retains the variety of note values as the composer wrote them, while in the isorhythmic version, the notes are adjusted to a more regular rhythm, often by making all notes of equal value.
“Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying” is often associated with Advent, and appropriately so, for the celebration of Christ's first coming naturally leads to anticipation of His Second Coming as well. However, it was written for the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 and the theme of eternal life, and is also appropriate for services on those themes.
In 1731, J. S. Bach wrote a cantata (BWV 140) at Leipzig based on this hymn for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, the last possible Sunday before Advent in the Lutheran liturgical calendar of the time. Advent was a penitential season in Leipzig, during which ornate music like a cantata was not performed. Hence, this hymn provided the basis for Bach's last opportunity for free musical expression before Christmas. WACHET AUF is the main melody for three of the seven movements, one of which was later reworked for the well-known setting of this tune in the Schübler Chorales for organ. WACHET AUF has been called the King of Chorales (another Philipp Nicolai tune, WIE SCHÖN LEUCHTET, is the Queen). It is very popular in settings for the organ, which is the instrument most closely associated with chorale tunes. Preludes, postludes, and improvisations in various styles abound in collections such as “Improvisations for the Christmas Season, Set 1,” the Advent suite “The King of Glory Comes,” and “Advent Postludes for Organ.”
Tiffany Shomsky, Hymnary.org
Instances (1 - 19 of 19) | Title | First Line | Tune | Tune Key | Author | Meter | Scripture | Date | Subject | Source | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #211 | Wake, awake, for night is flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | Wachet auf | 1992 | |||||||||||||
Christian Worship: a Lutheran hymnal #206 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Phillipp Nicolai, 1556-1608; Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78 | 898 898 664 448 | 1993 | End Time | | ![]() | |||||||||
Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #278 | 'Wake, awake! for night is flying' | 'Wake, awake! for night is flying' | WACHET AUF | Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878); Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) | 898 D 66 4 88 | 1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 5:14; Isaiah 52:1; Isaiah 52:8; Isaiah 60:1; Isaiah 62:5-6; Isaiah 64:4; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 5:11-13; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:21; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:16; Revelation 22:20; Romans 13:11-12 | 2005 | Christ Incarnate | Promise of the Messiah; Christ Risen | Coming Again; Angels | ; Jesus | Names and images for | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #544 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | "Wake, awake, for night is flying" | WACHET AUF | P. Nicolai, 1566-1608 | P M | 1996 | Heaven's Eternal Joy | ; Trinity 27 | | Tr. composite | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Hymns Old and New: New Anglican #529 | Wake, awake, for night is flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | Irr | 1996 | |||||||||||||
Hymns to the Living God #97 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | 8.9.8.8.9.8.6.6.4.8.8 | 2017 | Jesus Christ | Advent | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||||
Lutheran Service Book #516 | Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying | "Wake, awake, for night is flying" | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608; Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878 | 898 D 664 448 | Matthew 25:1-13; Isaiah 62:5-12; Revelation 19:6-19; Revelation 7:9-17 | 2006 | End Times | | ![]() | ||||||||
Lutheran Worship #177 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | "Wake, awake, for night is flying" | WACHET AUF | Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78; Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608 | PM | 1982 | Advent | ; Judgment | ; Second Coming of Christ | ; Sunday of the Fulfillment | ; Watchfulness | | ![]() | |||||||||
Moravian Book of Worship #258 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake for night is flying | WACHET AUF, RUFT UNS DIE STIMME | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | 8.9.8.8.9.8.6.6.4.8.8. | Isaiah 52:1-10; Matthew 25:1-13; Romans 13:11-12; 1 Corinthians 2; Revelation 21:9-27 | 1995 | Advent | ; Christian year--Advent | ; Christian year--Return of Christ | | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #613 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | PM | Matthew 25:6; Matthew 25 | 1987 | Biblical Names & Places | Jerusalem; Return of Christ | ; The New Creation | ; Advent | ; New Creation | ; Victory | | <i>Lutheran Worship</i>, 1982, rev., alt. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #210 | Wake, awake, for night is flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | 1985 | |||||||||||||
The Covenant Hymnal: a worshipbook #121 | Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying | "Wake, awake, for night is flying" | WACHET AUF | Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878; Phillip Nicolai, 1556-1608 | Irregular | Isaiah 52:1-2; Isaiah 52:8-11; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 19:6-9; Revelation 21 - 22 | 1996 | 1st Sunday in Advent | ; Advent | Coming; Joy in Christ | ; Judgment | ; Kingdom Of God | | |||||||||
The Cyber Hymnal #7103 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Catherine Winkworth; Philipp Nicolai | First published in Nicolai's <cite>Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens</cite> (Joyous Mirror of Eternal Life), 1599; translation in <cite>Lyra Germanica</cite>, second series, 1858 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||||
The Summit Choirbook #10 | Wake, O wake, for night is flying! | Wake, O wake, for night is flying! | WACHET AUF | 1983 | |||||||||||||
The United Methodist Hymnal #720 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | Irr. | Matthew 25:1-3; Romans 13:11-12 | 1989 | Christ's Gracious Life | Promised Coming; New Heaven and a New Earth | Return and Reign of the Lord; Adoration and Praise | ; Christian Year | Advent; Judgment | ; Triumph | ; Zeal | | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
The Worshiping Church #131 | Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | Irregular | Romans 13:11-12; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 60:1; Matthew 25:1-13 | 1990 | Advent Season | | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Together in Song: Australian hymn book II #266 | 'Wake, awake, for night is flying' | 'Wake, awake, for night is flying' | WACHET AUF | Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78; Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608 | 898 D 664.88 | Matthew 22:1-14; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 19:5-8; Revelation 19:9-10; Revelation 21:21-27; Romans 13:11-14 | 1999 | Advent | ; Eucharist | ; Heaven | ; Jerusalem | ; Jesus Christ | Kingship; Worship | Earthly and Heavenly | |||||||||
Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #317 | Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai; Catherine Winkworth | 8.9.8.8.9.8.6.6.4.8.8. | Matthew 25:6; 1 Corinthians 2:9 | 1990 | Watchfulness | ; Church | Bride of Christ; Jesus Christ | His Second Coming and Judgment | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Worship and Rejoice #164 | Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying | Wake, awake, for night is flying | WACHET AUF | Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608; Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878 | Irregular | Isaiah 60:1; Revelation 4:1-11; Isaiah 51:17; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 21:11; Romans 13:11-12; Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 5:9-14 | 2008 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |