Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: C. Aus­tin Miles, The Gos­pel Mes­sage No. 2 (New York: Hall-Mack, 1912), num­ber 45 (🔊 pdf nwc). This hymn was sung in the 1984 mo­vie Plac­es in the Heart, which won two Aca­de­my Awards.

I read…the story of the great­est morn in his­to­ry: The first day of the week com­eth Ma­ry Mag­da­lene ear­ly, while it was yet ve­ry dark, un­to the se­pul­cher.

Instantly, com­plet­ely, there un­fold­ed in my mind the scenes of the garden of Jo­seph…Out of the mists of the gar­den comes a form, halt­ing, he­si­tat­ing, tear­ful, seek­ing, turn­ing from side to side in be­wil­der­ing am­aze­ment.

Falteringly, bear­ing grief in ev­ery ac­cent, with tear-dimmed eyes, she whis­pers, If thou hast borne him hence…He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their sing­ing.

Jesus said to her, Ma­ry! Just one word from his lips, and for­got­ten the heart­aches, the long drea­ry hours….all the past blot­ted out in the pre­sence of the Liv­ing Pre­sent and the Eter­nal Fu­ture.

Lyrics

I come to the gar­den alone
While the dew is still on the ros­es
And the voice I hear fall­ing on my ear
The Son of God dis­clos­es.

Refrain

And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share
As we tar­ry there,
None oth­er has ev­er known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their sing­ing,
And the me­lo­dy that He gave to me
Within my heart is ring­ing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the gar­den with Him
Though the night around me be fall­ing,
But He bids me go;
Through the voice of woe
His voice to me is call­ing.

Refrain