The Cyber Hymnal ‎#1316

1316. Easter Song (Lathbury)

1. Snowdrops! lift your timid heads,
All the earth is waking,
Field and forest, brown and dead,
Into life are waking;
Snowdrops, rise, and tell the story,
How He rose, the Lord of glory.

2. Lilies! lilies! Easter calls!
Rise to meet the dawning
Of the blessèd light that falls
Through the Easter morning;
Ring your bells and tell the story,
How He rose, the Lord of glory.

3. Waken, sleeping butterflies,
Burst your narrow prison!
Spread your golden wings and rise,
For the Lord is risen;
Spread your wings and tell the story,
How He rose, the Lord of glory.

The fol­low­ing in­struct­ions for hand mo­tions were pub­lished with this hymn:
v. 1, "Snow-drops"—hands held in front, in hor­i­zont­al po­si­tion. "Lift your tim­id heads" hands raised per­pen­di­cu­lar­ly from the wrists. "How he rose," etc. arms gra­du­al­ly ris­ing un­til their full length is reached. Do so each time these words are sung as a chor­us.

v. 2." Ring your bells, and tell the story"—right arms in front, raised a lit­tle, and curved to rep­re­sent a stem of lil­ies; im­i­tate the ring­ing of bells by shak­ing the hand in re­gu­lar mo­tion up and down.

v. 3. "Wak­en, sleep­ing but­ter­flies"—right and left hands, palm op­po­site palm, fin­ger-tips touch­ing, fin­gers slight­ly curved, to rep­re­sent the chry­sa­lis. "Burst your nar­row pri­son"—hands opened slight­ly, with quick mo­tion. "Spread your gold­en wings"—hands open, thumb to thumb. "Spread your gold­en wings and rise"—hands raised above, and moved to rep­re­sent fly­ing.

Text Information

• First Line: Snowdrops! lift your timid heads
• Title: Easter Song (Lathbury)
• Author: Mary A. Lathbury (1883)
• Refrain First Line: Oh, sing the blessèd story!
• Meter: 76.76.88
• Language: English
• Source: Little Pilgrim Songs, by Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts & Hubert P. Main (New York: Biglow & Main, 1883), number 87
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: EASTER SONG
• Composer: L. L. B.
• Meter: 76.76.88
• Incipit: 53165 31724 65353
• Key: E♭ Major
• Copyright: Public Domain