Why do we mourn departing friends

General information

Lyricist: Isaac Watts

Settings by composers

• Thomas Clark SATB (vv.1,4-6)
• Timothy Swan SATB

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• William Billings — Germantown
• Robert Boyd — New Orleans
• Alexander Johnson — Separation

Texts and Translations

English text

1  Why do we mourn departing friends, Or shake at death's alarms? 'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends To call them to his arms. 2  Are we not tending upward too As fast as time can move? Nor would we wish the hours more slow To keep us from our love. 3  Why should we tremble to convey Their bodies to the tomb? There the dear flesh of Jesus lay, And left a long perfume.

4  The graves of all his saints he blessed, And softened every bed; Where should the dying members rest, But with the dying Head? 5  Thence he arose, ascending high, And showed our feet the way; Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly, At the great rising day. 6  Then let the last loud trumpet sound, And bid our kindred rise; Awake, ye nations under ground; Ye saints, ascend the skies.