Elmhurst Hymnal ‎#315

315. The Pilgrim and the Stranger

1 The pilgrim and the stranger
Pursues his journey home;
On earth there’s toil and danger,
In heav’n is rest alone.

2 The love that earth has given
Beneath the sod is laid;
He yearns for that in heaven,
For flow’rs that never fade.

3 Of wealth and pride and glory,
Of palaces and gold,
There is the old, sad story
Of death and ruin told.

4 The rivers’ flood is hurried
Into the ocean wide,
And in its bosom buried
Beneath the silent tide.

5 ‘Tis thus the pilgrim yearneth
For God’s own bliss and peace;
In life and joy eternal
His soul may be at ease.

6 And longing thus he wanders
Throughout this vale of tears,
To reach the home that’s yonder
Where Christ, his life, appears.

Text Information

• First Line: The pilgrim and stranger
• Title: The Pilgrim and the Stranger
• Translator: J. H. Horstmann (1908)
• Author: Chr. Barth
• Meter: 7, 6, 7, 6,
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1921
• Topic: Pilgrimage; Eternal Life

Tune Information

• Name: HOMEWARD BOUND
• Composer: C. Beurle
• Meter: 7, 6, 7, 6,