'Twere heaven enough to fill my heart If only one would stay,Just one of all the million joys God gives to take away.
If I could keep one golden dawn, The splendour of one star,One silver glint of yon bird's wing That flashes from afar;
If I could keep the least of things That make me catch my breathTo gasp with wonder at God's world And hold it back from death,
It were enough; but death forbids. The sunset flames to fade,The velvet petals of this rose Fall withered -- brown -- decayed.
She only asked to keep one thing, The joy light in his eyes:God has not even let her know Where his dead body lies.
O grave, where is Thy victory? O death, where is Thy sting?Thy victory is ev'rywhere, Thy sting's in ev'rything.
