Poems (Hoffman)/We Shall Sleep but We Shall Waken
WE SHALL SLEEP BUT WE SHALL WAKEN
We shall sleep but we shall wakenIn the morning bright and fair,We, by sudden night o'ertakenIn a land of dark despair;Whatsoever may befall usThough our rest be long and deep,Jesus in the morn will call usCall us from our silent sleep.
We shall sleep but we shall wakenThough the night be cold and drear,Not forgotten, not forsaken,With a dear Friend watching near;Long may be the night of sadnessYet that Friend, His watch shall keep"Till the glorious morn of gladnessWhen He wakes us from our sleep.
We shall sleep, but we shall wakenAt the sound of that dear voiceAt whose murmur thrones have shaken,At whose whisper saints rejoice;O'er our newly wakened visionFloods of holy light shall sweepFrom that morning-dawn ElysianWhen He wakes us from our sleep.
We shall sleep but we shall waken,Jesus slept, and woke before;We shall sleep and we shall wakenWhen our silent sleep is o'er;On the stillness of our slumbersShall break forth that music deepFrom glad hosts in countless numbersWhen He wakes us from our sleep.
We shall sleep but we shall waken,We shall meet with friends long dead,Those who from our sight were takenTo a cold and narrow bed;From the loftiest tomb's dark prison,From the lowliest grass-grown heap,We shall rise as Christ has risenWhen he wakes us from our sleep.
We shall sleep but we shall wakenIn the resurrection morn,We, by sudden night o'ertaken,Wanderers lost amid the storm;Whatsoever may befall us,Though our rest be long and deep,Jesus in the morn will call us,Call us from our silent sleep.