332 Sons of Sorrow

p. 332

Tune: Sons of Sorrow, arr. William Houser 1848

text: SH 1991 says Anonymous but http://home.olemiss.edu/~mudws/texts/Gloom.txt attributes it (with many more verses, some changes) to one Selah Gridley (1770-1826), published 182 in Social and Campmeeting Songs, 1828 (noted at http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~mamiller/docs/music/fasola/computer/332_Sons_of_Sorrow.txt)

Hail ye sighing sons of sorrow;

Learn with me, your certain doom 

Learn with me your fate tomorrow . 

Dead, perhaps, laid in the tomb! 

See all nature fading, dying, 

Silent, all things seem to mourn; 

Life from vegetation flying, 

Calls to mind the mould'ring urn. 

 Oft the autumn tempest rising, 

Makes the lofty forest nod; 

Scenes of nature, how surprising, 

Read in nature, Nature's God. 

And our sov'reign sole Creator 

Lives eternal in the sky, 

While we mortals yield to nature, 

Bloom awhile, then fade and die. 

 Fast my sun of life's declining, 

Soon 'twill set in dismal night; 

But in my hopes, pure and refining, 

Rest in future life and light. 

Cease then trembling, fearing, sighing, 

Death will break the sullen gloom; 

Soon my spirit, flutt'ring, flying, 

Shall be borne beyond the tomb.