The happiest day of all the year is this
By song and sunshine ushered in,
Only the tyranny of sin
Can cloud her perfect joyousness,
Only the minor strain of wrongs
Can sadden her immortal songs. Christmas we sang a Saviour's birth,
Today that Saviour crucified
Has risen triumphant, glorified,
And waked the Easter song of earth,
That song by Easter angels led
That Christ is risen from the dead. And the fair Easter lilies rise
From the long burial underground,
Symbols of life in victory crowned
Of Earth responding to the skies,
Of Nature bursting Earth's brown crust,
Of beauty risen from the dust. Each year the lilies hear the call
Of prophecy, of hope and trust,
Awake and sing who dwell in dust
And the fair lilies waken all,
And old Earth listens for the voice
That bids her waken and rejoice. Softly the waking call doth come: --
Awake and sing, all hearts that dwell
Earth-burdened like the lily bell,
Wake glad hymn on tongue long dumb,
Let angels roll the stone away
From life and light and love today. And may the voiceless lilies bear
To every soul a message breathed
In fragrance and with beauty wreathed,
To sorrow--hope; to sin--a prayer,
And happy hearts go forth to swell
The anthem of the lily bell. And sweet shall sound the lily chime
Glad Easter coming, here, and gone,
'Till death and night and sin shall dawn
Into a nightless morning clime
With all Earth-darkness cast aside
And all Earth-brightness glorified.