Through Death to Life

The star is not ex­ting­uished when it sets

Upon the dull ho­ri­zon; it but goes

To shine in oth­er skies

then re-ap­pear

In ours

as fresh as when it first arose.

The riv­er is not lost

when

o’er the rock

It pours its flood in­to th’ab­yss be­low:

Its scat­tered force re-ga­ther­ing from the shock

It hast­ens on­ward

with yet full­er flow.

The bright sun dies not

when the sha­dow­ing orb

Of the eclips­ing moon ob­scures its ray:

It still is shin­ing on; and soon to us

Will burst un­dimmed in­to the joy of day.

The li­ly dies not

when both flow­er and leaf

Fade

and are strewed up­on the chill sad ground:

Gone down for shel­ter to its mo­ther-earth

’Twill rise

re-bloom

and shed its frag­rance round.

The dew­drop dies not

when it leaves the flow­er

And pass­es up­ward on the beam of morn:

It does but hide it­self in light on high

To its loved flow­er at twi­light to re­turn.

The fine gold has not per­ished

when the flame

Seizes up­on it with con­sum­ing glow:

In fresh­ened splen­dor it comes forth anew

To spar­kle on the mon­arch’s throne or brow.

Thus no­thing dies

or on­ly dies to live:

Star

stream

sun

flow­er

the dew-drop

and the gold

Each good­ly thing

in­stinct with buoy­ant hope

Hastes to put on its pur­er

fin­er mold.

Thus in the qui­et joy of kind­ly trust

We bid each part­ing saint a brief fare­well:

Weeping

yet smil­ing

we com­mit their dust

To the safe keep­ing of the si­lent cell.

Softly with­in that peace­ful rest­ing place

We lay their wear­ied limbs; and bid the clay

Press light­ly on them

till the night be past

And the far east give note of com­ing day.

The day of re-ap­pear­ing! how it speeds!

He who is true and faith­ful speaks the word.

Then shall we ev­er be with those we love

Then shall we be for ev­er with the Lord.

The shout is heard; th’arch­an­gel’s voice goes forth;

The trum­pet sounds; the dead awake and sing;

The liv­ing put on glo­ry; one glad band

They hast­en up to meet their com­ing king.

Short death and dark­ness! End­less life and light!

Short dim­ming; end­less shin­ing in yon sphere

Where all is in­cor­rupt­ible and pure;

The joy with­out the pain

the smile with­out the tear.