Lyrics
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 The graves of all his saints he blessed,
And softened every bed:
Where should the dying members rest,
But with their dying Head?
3 Thence he arose, ascending higher,
And showed our feet the way:
Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly,
At the great rising-day.
4 Then let the last loud trumpet sound,
And bid our kindred rise;
Awake, ye nations under ground;
Ye saints, ascend the skies.
Meaning & Inspiration
Why Do We Mourn Departing Friends considers Christian grief in light of resurrection hope. The hymn does not deny the alarm of death, but it portrays departed believers as called into the arms of Jesus. Its second stanza turns to the grave, describing it as a resting place blessed by Christ, who entered death and rose. That movement from burial to ascension prepares the final vision of the saints rising at the trumpet sound.
The closing stanza closely reflects 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where the Lord descends and the dead in Christ rise. Its trumpet imagery also parallels 1 Corinthians 15:52, which describes the dead being raised imperishable. Romans 6:5 supports the hymn’s confidence that union with Christ includes sharing in His resurrection. These connections place mourning within a larger confession: death remains sorrowful, yet it does not have the final word. The hymn offers consolation through Christ’s own death, resurrection, and promised gathering of His people.
Related Scripture
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Paul describes the trumpet call and the dead in Christ rising.
- 1 Corinthians 15:52 Paul says the dead will be raised at the last trumpet.
- Romans 6:5 Union with Christ includes the hope of resurrection like His.