Geistliche Lieder

Geistliche Lieder, a collection of 15 hymns written in 1799 by Novalis. The first 7 were published in the Musenalmanach for 1802 and the whole collection appeared shortly after in vol. 2 of Novalis's Schriften (1802). All but one are in the strophic form of hymns for congregational use, and some (notably ‘Was wär’ ich ohne dich gewesen' (I), ‘Wenn ich ihn nur habe’ (V), and ‘Wenn alle untreu werden’ (VI)) are still in regular use. The exception (VII) to strophic form is a hymnic poem in which the sacrament of Holy Communion assumes pervasive erotic significance.