AN EASTER SONG.

WWE bore to see the summer go;We bore to see the ruthless windBeat all the golden leaves and redIn drifting masses to and fro,Till not a leaf remained behind;We faced the winter’s frown, and said,“There comes reward for all our pain,For every loss there comes a gain;And spring, which never failed us yet,Out of the snow-drift and the iceShall some day bring the violet.”We bore—what could we do but bear?—To see youth perish in its prime,And hope grow faint, and joyance grieved,And dreams all vanish in thin air,And beauty, at the touch of time,Become a memory, half believed;Still we could smile, and still we said,“Hope, joy, and beauty are not dead;God’s angel guards them all and sees—Close by the grave he sits and waits—There comes a spring for even these.”We bore to see dear faces pale,Dear voices falter, smiles grow wan,And life ebb like a tide at sea,Till underneath the misty veilOur best belovèd, one by one,Vanished and parted silently.We stayed without, but still could say,“Grief’s winter dureth not alway;Who sleep in Christ with Christ shall rise.We wait our Easter morn in tears,They in the smile of Paradise.”O thought of healing, word of strength!O light to lighten darkest way!O saving help and balm of ill!For all our dead shall dawn at lengthA slowly broadening Easter Day,A Resurrection calm and still.The little sleep will not seem long,The silence shall break out in song,The sealèd eyes shall ope,—and thenWe who have waited patientlyShall live and have our own again.

WWE bore to see the summer go;We bore to see the ruthless windBeat all the golden leaves and redIn drifting masses to and fro,Till not a leaf remained behind;We faced the winter’s frown, and said,“There comes reward for all our pain,For every loss there comes a gain;And spring, which never failed us yet,Out of the snow-drift and the iceShall some day bring the violet.”We bore—what could we do but bear?—To see youth perish in its prime,And hope grow faint, and joyance grieved,And dreams all vanish in thin air,And beauty, at the touch of time,Become a memory, half believed;Still we could smile, and still we said,“Hope, joy, and beauty are not dead;God’s angel guards them all and sees—Close by the grave he sits and waits—There comes a spring for even these.”We bore to see dear faces pale,Dear voices falter, smiles grow wan,And life ebb like a tide at sea,Till underneath the misty veilOur best belovèd, one by one,Vanished and parted silently.We stayed without, but still could say,“Grief’s winter dureth not alway;Who sleep in Christ with Christ shall rise.We wait our Easter morn in tears,They in the smile of Paradise.”O thought of healing, word of strength!O light to lighten darkest way!O saving help and balm of ill!For all our dead shall dawn at lengthA slowly broadening Easter Day,A Resurrection calm and still.The little sleep will not seem long,The silence shall break out in song,The sealèd eyes shall ope,—and thenWe who have waited patientlyShall live and have our own again.

WWE bore to see the summer go;We bore to see the ruthless windBeat all the golden leaves and redIn drifting masses to and fro,Till not a leaf remained behind;We faced the winter’s frown, and said,“There comes reward for all our pain,For every loss there comes a gain;And spring, which never failed us yet,Out of the snow-drift and the iceShall some day bring the violet.”

W

WE bore to see the summer go;

We bore to see the ruthless wind

Beat all the golden leaves and red

In drifting masses to and fro,

Till not a leaf remained behind;

We faced the winter’s frown, and said,

“There comes reward for all our pain,

For every loss there comes a gain;

And spring, which never failed us yet,

Out of the snow-drift and the ice

Shall some day bring the violet.”

We bore—what could we do but bear?—To see youth perish in its prime,And hope grow faint, and joyance grieved,And dreams all vanish in thin air,And beauty, at the touch of time,

We bore—what could we do but bear?—

To see youth perish in its prime,

And hope grow faint, and joyance grieved,

And dreams all vanish in thin air,

And beauty, at the touch of time,

Become a memory, half believed;Still we could smile, and still we said,“Hope, joy, and beauty are not dead;God’s angel guards them all and sees—Close by the grave he sits and waits—There comes a spring for even these.”

Become a memory, half believed;

Still we could smile, and still we said,

“Hope, joy, and beauty are not dead;

God’s angel guards them all and sees—

Close by the grave he sits and waits—

There comes a spring for even these.”

We bore to see dear faces pale,Dear voices falter, smiles grow wan,And life ebb like a tide at sea,Till underneath the misty veilOur best belovèd, one by one,Vanished and parted silently.We stayed without, but still could say,“Grief’s winter dureth not alway;Who sleep in Christ with Christ shall rise.We wait our Easter morn in tears,They in the smile of Paradise.”

We bore to see dear faces pale,

Dear voices falter, smiles grow wan,

And life ebb like a tide at sea,

Till underneath the misty veil

Our best belovèd, one by one,

Vanished and parted silently.

We stayed without, but still could say,

“Grief’s winter dureth not alway;

Who sleep in Christ with Christ shall rise.

We wait our Easter morn in tears,

They in the smile of Paradise.”

O thought of healing, word of strength!O light to lighten darkest way!O saving help and balm of ill!For all our dead shall dawn at lengthA slowly broadening Easter Day,A Resurrection calm and still.

O thought of healing, word of strength!

O light to lighten darkest way!

O saving help and balm of ill!

For all our dead shall dawn at length

A slowly broadening Easter Day,

A Resurrection calm and still.

The little sleep will not seem long,The silence shall break out in song,The sealèd eyes shall ope,—and thenWe who have waited patientlyShall live and have our own again.

The little sleep will not seem long,

The silence shall break out in song,

The sealèd eyes shall ope,—and then

We who have waited patiently

Shall live and have our own again.


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