When my fi­nal fare­well to the world I have said,
[originally, When mys­te­ri­ous whis­pers are float­ing about]
And glad­ly lie down to my rest;
When soft­ly the watch­ers shall say, He is dead,
And fold my pale hands o’er my breast;
And when, with my glo­ri­fied vi­sion at last
The walls of That Ci­ty I see,
Will any one then at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?
Will any one then at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?

Refrain

Be wait­ing and watch­ing,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?
Be wait­ing and watch­ing,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?

There are lit­tle ones glanc­ing about in my path,
In want of a friend and a guide;
There are dear lit­tle eyes look­ing up in­to mine,
Whose tears might be ea­si­ly dried.
But Je­sus may beck­on the child­ren away
In the midst of their grief and their glee—
Will any of them, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?
Will any of them, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?

Refrain

There are old and for­sak­en who lin­ger awhile
In homes which their dear­est have left;
And a few gen­tle words or an act­ion of love
May cheer their sad spir­its be­reft.
But the Reap­er is near to the long stand­ing corn;
The wea­ry will soon be set free.
Will any of them, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?
Will any of them, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me?

Refrain

Oh, should I be brought there by the boun­ti­ful grace
Of Him who de­lights to for­give,
Though I bless not the wea­ry about in my path,
Pray on­ly for self while I live,
Methinks I should mourn o’er my sin­ful ne­glect,
If sor­row in Hea­ven can be,
Should no one I love, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me!
Should no one I love, at the beau­ti­ful gate,
Be wait­ing and watch­ing for me!

Refrain