Scripture Verse

I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered. Isaiah 65:17

Introduction

Words: Ma­ria B. W. Barnes, in Brad­bu­ry’s Gold­en Show­er of S. S. Me­lo­dies, by Will­iam Brad­bu­ry (New York: Ivi­son, Phin­ney & Blake­man, 1862), num­ber 20. The orig­in­al showed boys sing­ing the first two lines of each verse, and girls the se­cond two. Some hym­nals give the au­thor as Kate Ca­me­ron, Barnes’ pseu­do­nym.

Music: Oro­ville Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1862 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Barnes (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
William B. Bradbury (1816–1868)

Lyrics

Traveler, whi­ther art thou go­ing,
Heedless of the clouds that form?
Naught to me the wind’s rough blow­ing,
Mine’s a land with­out a storm.

Refrain

And I’m go­ing, yes, I’m go­ing,
To that land that has no storms;
And I’m go­ing, yes, I’m go­ing,
To that land that has no storms,

Traveler, art thou here a stran­ger,
Not to fear the tem­pest’s pow­er?
I have not a thought of dan­ger,
Tho’ the sky may dark­ly low­er.

Refrain

Traveler, now a mo­ment lin­ger,
Soon the dark­ness will be o’er.
No! I see a beck­on­ing fin­ger,
Guiding to a far-off shore.

Refrain

Traveler, yon­der nar­row por­tal
Opens to re­ceive thy form.
Yes, but I shall be im­mor­tal
In that land with­out a storm.

Refrain