Poems (Hoffman)/Will There Be no Flowers in Heaven?
WILL THERE BE NO FLOWERS IN HEAVEN?
Will there be no flowers in heaven,No soul-like blossoms thereIn the land of the pure and lovelyIn the home of the good and fair;Where all that is best and brightestIn matchless splendor shall shineAnd night cannot lend one shadowTo darken the courts divine?
Will there be no flowers in heaven,Where the streets are paved with goldWhere a moment reveals more gloryThan the ages of earth unfold;Where the light is all too dazzlingFor earth-born eyes to view,Where harps are thrilling such musicAs this world never knew?
Will there be no flowers in heaven?No flowers by the river's side?No lilies to bathe their pearly crownsIn the spray of the crystal tide?No violets to lend their fragranceTo perfume the balmy air,No roses to cling to the jasper wallsAnd vie with the jewels there?
Will there be no flowers in heaven?Would not heaven be incompleteWith no wreaths of immortal freshnessTo cast at the Saviour's feet; With no sprays of living beautyTo droop o'er the streets of gold,With no gardens to blossom foreverUntouched by earth's blight and mold?
Ah! there will be flowers in heavenIn those realms of immortal bloom,But never as here shall they witherOn a desolate, darkened tomb;We know not their forms or their fragrance,We know not their changeless yearsBut we know they shall outshine the blossomsThat gladden this vale of tears.
Our beautiful earth-born blossoms!!Can imagination weave?Can mind in its silent chambersOne missing charm conceive,That lost in their earthly gloryMight spring from a holier sodAnd sprinkle with sweeter incenseThe glorious courts of God?
No; to our limited visionThey are fair as a seraph's song,One of the relics of EdenThat still to our earth belong.We love them, oh, who would chide usFor loving the few bright thingsThat have not grown tired of our cold bleak worldAnd flown on their soul-like wings!
Beautiful flowers of heaven!They shall bloom in immortal youth,Holding within their spotless cupsThe bright dew-pearls of truth;Wafting from out their petals fairThe holy innocence of love,Made lovelier for the adorningOf the glittering courts above.
Never, never, to wither,Never to fade or blight,Nevermore to droop in sadnessIn a land of clouds and night;Bathed in eternal sunshine,Nurtured in heavenly soil,They shall bloom through unmeasured agesWhere frost cannot come to spoil.