Poem by George Pope Morris

Funeral Hymn

"Man dieth and wasteth away,
  And where is he?"—Hark! from the skies
I hear a voice answer and say,
  "The spirit of man never dies:
His body, which came from the earth,
  Must mingle again with the sod;
But his soul, which in heaven had birth,
  Returns to the bosom of God."

No terror has death, or the grave,
  To those who believe in the Lord—
We know the Redeemer can save,
  And lean on the faith of his word;
While ashes to ashes, and dust
  We give unto dust, in our gloom,
The light of salvation, we trust,
  Is hung like a lamp in the tomb.

The sky will be burnt as a scroll—
  The earth, wrapped in flames, will expire;
But, freed from all shackles, the soul
  Will rise in the midst of the fire.
Then, brothers, mourn not for the dead,
  Who rest from their labors, forgiven;
Learn this from your Bible instead,
  The grave is the gateway to heaven.

O Lord God Almighty! to Thee
  We turn as our solace above;
The waters may fail from the sea,
  But not from thy fountains of love:
Oh, teach us Thy will to obey,
  And sing with one heart and accord,
"He gave and he taketh away,
  And praised be the name of the Lord!"

1. The Land of Washington
2. Starlight Recollections
3. Boat-Song
4. The Soldier's Welcome Home
5. The Deserted Bride

Walter Scott Funeral Hymn ("Dust unto dust")

Print

1215 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version