This week's hymn is one by German poet Matthias Claudius in the late eighteenth century. Matthias' father was a Lutheran pastor, and he originally went to university to study theology, but then changed his course of student to law and languages. He wrote many many poems, several of which were under the name Asmus. His work includes the poem Death and the Maiden, which was used in a composition by Franz Schubert. He turned to writing religious works after a grave illness caused him to return to the faith of his childhood.