The year now hast­ens to its end,
Bleak is the coun­try­side;
A sad fare­well in song I send
The fleet­ing sum­mer­tide.

Soon howls the win­ter’s stor­my voice,
Things wi­ther and de­cay;
Let na­ture rest, I will re­joice
In God who lives for aye.

The sun is cut­ting short its trail,
The night pro­longs its sway;
God’s migh­ty arm shall ne­ver fail,
His wis­dom ne­ver stray.

The fad­ing leaves in co­lors glow
And soon are tossed about;
God’s love for me while here be­low
I ne­ver­more will doubt.

I know where joy still has a home,
When bar­ren fields are white,
’Tis un­der Hea­ven’s star­ry dome
With an­gel cho­rus bright.

I know where I for hope may flee
When na­ture fad­eth here,
On Gol­go­tha, my Sav­ior’s tree
Stands ver­dant through the year.

With drop­ping leaves in au­tumn’s rain,
Let flow­ers fade and fall;
My faith in Him shall still re­tain
Its leaves and flow­ers all.

He pledg­es me eter­nal life,
Though win­ter storms as­sail;
He broke the tomb and won the strife,
His pro­mise cannot fail.