Scripture Verse

The flowers appear on the earth. The time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:12

Introduction

Words: Thomas Black­burne, in Hymns and Po­ems for the Sick and Suf­fer­ing, by Tho­mas Vin­cent Fos­be­ry, se­cond edi­tion (Lon­don: Riv­ing­tons, 1850), pag­es 269–70, alt.

Music: George F. Root, in The Sun­ny Side, ed­it­ed by Charles W. Wendte and Hen­ry S. Per­kins (New York: Will­iam A. Pond, 1875), page 106 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Black­burne (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
George F. Root (1820–1895)

Lyrics

Awake, thou win­try earth!
Fling off thy sad­ness!
Fair ver­nal flowers laugh forth
Your an­cient glad­ness!
Christ is ris­en!

Wave, woods, your blos­soms all,
Grim Death is dead!
Ye weep­ing fu­ne­ral trees,
Lift up your head!
Christ is ris­en!

Come, see the graves are green;
In light, we go
Where now our loved ones rest
In hope be­low.
Christ is ris­en!

All is fresh and new,
Full of spring and light:
Cold heart, why wear­est hue
Of sleep and night?
Christ is ris­en!

Leave thy cares be­neath;
Leave thy world­ly love;
Begin the bet­ter life
With God above!
Christ is ris­en!