By the Bier of a Friend

On thy bier how calm thou’rt sleeping
Yet thou livest, oh our crown!
Watch eternal art thou keeping,
Standing near thy Saviour’s throne.
Endless joy thy portion now!
Why should tears so freely flow?
What should thus in sorrow sink us?
Up! aright let us bethink us!

Grudge we to our friends their pleasure;
When they laugh, we laugh again;
Bitter tears shed without measure,
When we see them sunk in pain.
When we see them conq’rors come,
From the cross triumphant home;
When is o’er life’s toil and anguish,
Then no more in grief we languish.

Noble heart! in peace now rest thee,
Thou hast vanquish’d every foe,
All afflictions that oppress’d thee,
Overwhelm’d thy heart with woe;
All the toil and misery,
All care and anxiety,
All that made thee sleep in sorrow,
Wake in anguish on the morrow.

God who sendeth all temptations,
Knows the burden each can bear;
He appoints all tribulations,
Who in loving, gracious care,
Sent thee every trial sore
That thou now hast triumphed o’er,
Who hath strength enough to bear it,
Must in larger measure share it.

Hadst thou been at heart a craven,
Shrinking from the chilly blast,
Loving most the quiet haven,
With no cloud the sky o’ercast,
God, the giver of all good,
Never such a grievous load
Of affliction had ordain’d thee,
As dishearten’d oft and pain’d thee.

Triumph now, for thou, victorious
By the pow’r of God most high,
Sonlike in thy strength so glorious,
Walk’st amid the Company
Of the city fair and new,
Which the Lord hath built for you;
With the angels join’st in singing,
Sweetest songs from heart up-springing.

Jesus bids thee cease from weeping
Wipes the tear-drop from thine eye;
Free thy heart from sorrow keeping
All thy need doth He supply.
In thy cup now running o’er
Wishest thou but one thing more,
That thy friends who here still wander
Were thy bliss now sharing yonder.

To the realms we’ll come so glorious,
Out of sorrow into joy;
Thee with myriad saints victorious
See in bliss without alloy.
Oh! how bless’d and fair ’twill be,
When we all shall dwell with Thee;
When is o’er life’s chequer’d story,
And we reign in endless glory.

Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs, 1867