Awake, My Heart, with Gladness

Awake

my heart

with glad­ness

See what to­day is done!

Now

af­ter gloom and sad­ness

Comes forth the glo­ri­ous Sun!

My Sav­ior there was laid

Where our bed must be made

When to the realms of light

Our spir­it wings its flight.

The foe in tri­umph shout­ed

When Christ lay in the tomb;

But

lo

he now is rout­ed

His boast is turned to gloom.

For Christ again is free;

In glo­ri­ous vic­to­ry

He who is strong to save

Has tri­umphed o’er the grave.

This is a sight that glad­dens;

What peace it doth im­part!

Now no­thing ev­er sad­dens

The joy with­in my heart.

No gloom shall ev­er shake

No foe shall ev­er take

The hope which God’s own Son

In love for me hath won.

Now hell

its prince

the dev­il

Of all their pow­ers are shorn;

Now I am safe from ev­il

And sin I laugh to scorn.

Grim Death with all his might

Cannot my soul af­fright;

He is a pow­er­less form

Howe’er he rave and storm.

The world against me rag­eth

Its fury I dis­dain;

Though bit­ter war it wag­eth

Its work is all in vain.

My heart from care is free

No trou­ble trou­bles me.

Misfortune now is play

And night is bright as day.

Now I will cling for­ev­er

To Christ

my Sav­ior true;

My Lord will leave me nev­er

Whate’er He pass­eth through.

He rends death’s ir­on chain

He breaks through sin and pain

He shat­ters hell’s dark thrall

I fol­low Him through all.

To halls of heav­en­ly splen­dor

With Him I pe­ne­trate;

And trou­ble ne’er may hin­der

Nor make me he­si­tate.

Let tem­pests rage at will

My Sav­ior shields me still;

He grants abid­ing peace

And bids all tu­mult cease.

He brings me to the por­tal

That leads to bliss un­told

Whereon this rhyme im­mor­tal

Is found in script of gold:

Who there My cross hath shared

Finds here a crown pre­pared;

Who there with Me hath died

Shall here be glo­ri­fied.