The Songs of the Reaper

The seed I have scat­tered

In spring­time with weep­ing

And wa­tered with tears

And with dews from on high;

Another may shout

When the har­vest­er’s reap­ing

Shall ga­ther my grain

In the sweet by and by.

Over and ov­er

yes

deep­er and deep­er

My heart is pierced through

With life’s sor­row­ing cry

But the tears of the sow­er

And songs of the reap­er

Shall min­gle to­ge­ther in joy by and by.

By and by

by and by

By and by

by and by

Yes

the tears of the sow­er

And songs of the reap­er

Shall min­gle to­ge­ther in joy by and by.

Another may reap

What in spring­time I’ve plant­ed

Another re­joice

In the fruit of my pain

Not know­ing my tears

When in sum­mer I faint­ed

While toil­ing sad-heart­ed

In the sun­shine and rain.

The thorns will have choked

And the sum­mer suns blast­ed

The most of the seed

Which in spring­time I’ve sown;

But the Lord who has watched

While my wea­ry toil last­ed

Will give me a har­vest

For what I have done.