Who shall roll the stone away?
Thus the pi­ous women spoke,
As they went at break of day,
While each heart with ang­uish broke;
Though the way was dark through­out,
Though fond hope was mixed with doubt,
Yet an im­pulse made them brave—
Holy love led to His grave.

Spices sweet and love they take,
To their mas­ter’s sac­red tomb;
Those on Him they fain would break,
In yon dark se­pul­chral room,
But their zeal is checked alone
By this huge ob­struct­ing stone,
And they find to their dis­may
That the stone was rolled away?

Sing we then our bright­est lay,
On the day our Lord arose,
Since Christ’s re­sur­rect­ion day,
Vanquished now are all our foes;
Since He tasted death for us,
We’re in Him vic­to­ri­ous,
And our East­er songs must own,
Triumph came thro’ Christ alone.