 | Christmas songs and Easter carols |  |
EASTER CAROLS
35
AN EASTER CAROL
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right.
Faith and Hope triumphant say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right.
Faith and Hope triumphant say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.
While the patient earth lies waking,
Till the morning shall be breaking,
Shuddering 'neath the burden dread
Of her Master, cold and dead,
Hark! she hears the angels say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.
Till the morning shall be breaking,
Shuddering 'neath the burden dread
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Hark! she hears the angels say,
Christ will rise on Easter-Day.
And when sunrise smites the mountains,
Pouring light from heavenly fountains,
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say,
Christ has risen on Easter-Day.
Pouring light from heavenly fountains,
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say,
Christ has risen on Easter-Day.
Up and down our lives obedient
Walk, dear Christ, with footsteps radiant,
Till those garden lives shall be
Fair with duties done for Thee;
And our thankful spirits say,
Christ arose on Easter-Day.
Walk, dear Christ, with footsteps radiant,
Till those garden lives shall be
Fair with duties done for Thee;
And our thankful spirits say,
Christ arose on Easter-Day.
39
EASTER ANGELS
God hath sent His Angels
To the earth again,
Bringing joyful tidings
To the sons of men.
To the earth again,
Bringing joyful tidings
To the sons of men.
They who first at Christmas
Thronged the heavenly way,
Now beside the tomb-door
Sit on Easter-Day.
Thronged the heavenly way,
Now beside the tomb-door
Sit on Easter-Day.
Angels, sing His triumph
As you sang His birth,
“Christ the Lord is risen,
Peace, good will on earth.”
As you sang His birth,
“Christ the Lord is risen,
Peace, good will on earth.”
In the dreadful desert
Where the Lord was tried,
There the faithful Angels
Gathered at His side,
Where the Lord was tried,
There the faithful Angels
Gathered at His side,
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And when in the Garden,
Grief, and pain, and care
Bowed Him down with anguish,
They were with Him there.
Grief, and pain, and care
Bowed Him down with anguish,
They were with Him there.
Yet the Christ they honour
Is the same Christ still,
Who, in light and darkness,
Did His Father's will.
Is the same Christ still,
Who, in light and darkness,
Did His Father's will.
And the tomb, deserted,
Shineth like the sky,
Since He passed out from it,
Into victory.
Shineth like the sky,
Since He passed out from it,
Into victory.
God has still His Angels
Helping, at His word,
All His faithful children,
Like their faithful Lord.
Helping, at His word,
All His faithful children,
Like their faithful Lord.
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Soothing them in sorrow,
Arming them in strife,
Opening wide the tomb-doors,
Leading into life.
Arming them in strife,
Opening wide the tomb-doors,
Leading into life.
Father,send Thine Angels
Unto us, we pray;
Leave us not to wander
All along our way.
Unto us, we pray;
Leave us not to wander
All along our way.
Let them guard and guide us,
Whereso'er we be,
Till our resurrection
Brings us home to Thee.
Whereso'er we be,
Till our resurrection
Brings us home to Thee.
45
THE EASTER FLOWER
O Garden by the City gate
Where seeds of flowers are sown,
What seed is this they bring in state
With grief and sob and moan?
Where seeds of flowers are sown,
What seed is this they bring in state
With grief and sob and moan?
They hide it in the silent ground,
And sadly turn away,
The dark earth closes it around
Beneath the closing day.
And sadly turn away,
The dark earth closes it around
Beneath the closing day.
And there its patient rest it takes,
With folded life and power,
Till, when the third bright morning breaks,
Behold it bursts to flower!
With folded life and power,
Till, when the third bright morning breaks,
Behold it bursts to flower!
And ever since the new-made sun
Turned Eden's slopes to green,
Of all Earth's gardens not in one
So fair a flower was seen.
Turned Eden's slopes to green,
Of all Earth's gardens not in one
So fair a flower was seen.
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It glows with faith and charity,
With love for man and God,
In it a hope which cannot die
Springs from the bursting clod.
With love for man and God,
In it a hope which cannot die
Springs from the bursting clod.
A Rose whose heart is mystic Love,
Whose fragrance fills the Earth,
While happy Heaven which bends above
Sings at the blessed birth.
Whose fragrance fills the Earth,
While happy Heaven which bends above
Sings at the blessed birth.
O Risen Christ! O Easter Flower!
How dear Thy Grace has grown!
From East to West, with loving power,
Make all the world Thine own.
How dear Thy Grace has grown!
From East to West, with loving power,
Make all the world Thine own.
And make our hearts Thy gardens. Bloom
In them, dear Lord, and be
Their life of life till Life gives room
To Immortality!
In them, dear Lord, and be
Their life of life till Life gives room
To Immortality!
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