Why do we mourn departing friends

General information

This is an hymn by Isaac Watts, his Hymn 3 of Book 2, published 1707.

Notes on selected settings

Daniel Belknap SATB Thomas Clark SATB (vv. 1,4-6) Jacob French SATB

Oliver Holden SATB Stephen Jenks SATB Timothy Swan SATB

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Daniel Belknap — Northborough  English SATB
• William Billings — Germantown  English SATB
• Robert Boyd — New Orleans  English SATB
• Thomas Clark — Why do we mourn departing friends?  English SATB
• Jacob French — Monmouth  English SATB
• Oliver Holden — Funeral Hymn  English SATB
• Stephen Jenks — Alarm  English SATB
• Alexander Johnson — Separation  English STB
• Timothy Swan — China  English SATB

Text 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.