Only A Lifeless Form

在搜集得來有關喜嘉理牧師的眾多文獻中,有一本為喜牧神學院老師Rev. Dr. Joseph Augustine Benton的追思文集,在眾多悼詞中記有一首小詩,很大可能是出自喜嘉理牧師的手筆,詩意頗能道出對一位忠主神僕的惜別之情,謹為這詩譜一個旋律:

詞:C. R. Hager(?)
曲:海牛

Only a lifeless form,
We see before our eyes;
But Christ has set his star
Forever in the skies.

Our loss his brightest gain,
Our grief his peaceful sleep,
From which none ever wake
To grieve, or mourn, or weep,

Farewell, thou man of God!
From Jesus’ blessed arms
We would not call thee back
To tread life’s fitful storms.

In yonder sphere of light,
Amid the ransomed throng,
We see thee now by faith,
And hear thy glad, new song.

Not dead, but gone before,
To wait our coming there;
With harp and crown of gold,
A spirit bright and fair.