Inspired by Bach's motets, he had composed "extended a cappella choral settings",[3] such as Geistliche Gesänge, Op.

In great contrast, he composed eight motets forming Acht geistliche Gesänge (Eight Sacred Songs), Op.

[4] Unser lieben Frauen Traum[2] was published in 1916 as the fourth of Acht geistliche Gesänge (Eight Sacred Songs).

[3] The German text consists of three short stanzas by an anonymous poet, derived from a religious folk song, that was first printed in 1602 in a Catholic hymnal edited by Nicolaus Beuttner.

Herr Jesus Christ der Heiland ist unser Heil und Trost, mit seiner bittern Marter hat er uns all erlöst.

The topic is a dream of Mary, "our dear Lady", of a tree growing under her heart, providing shadow over all land, called Jesus Christ the Saviour.

A sermon held in the Thomaskirche where the motet was performed by the Thomanerchor pointed out that the growing tree refers to the wood of the cross on which Jesus suffered.