1 Brief life is here our portion,
Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
The life that knows no ending,
The tearless life is there!
O happy retribution!
Short toil, eternal rest,
For mortals and for sinners,
A mansion with the blest!

2 There grief is turned to pleasure;
Such pleasure as below
No human voice can utter,
No human heart can know;
And after fleshly weakness,
And after this world's night,
And after storm and whirlwind,
Are calm,and joy, and light.

3 And now we fight the battle,
But then shall wear the crown
Of full and everlasting
And passionless renown;
But He Whom now we trust in,
Shall then be seen and known,
And they that know and see Him,
Shall have Him for their own.

4 And now we watch and struggle,
And now we live in hope,
And Sion in her anguish,
With Babylon must cope;
But there is David's fountain,
And life in fullest glory;
And there the light is golden,
And milk and honey flow.

5 The morning shall awaken,
And shadows flee away,
And each true-hearted servant
Shall shine as doth the day;
For God, our King and Portion,
In fullness of His grace,
We then shall see forever,
And worship face to face.

Amen.