The Funeral

The Funeral - Hank Williams (汉克·威廉姆斯)

I was walking in Savannah

Past a church

Decayed and dim

When slowly through the window

Came a plaintive funeral hymn

And my sympathy awakened

And a wonder quickly grew

Till I found myself environed

In a little colored pew

Out front a colored couple sat

In sorrow nearly wild

On the altar was a casket

And in the casket was a child

I could picture him while living

Curly hair protruding lips

I'd seen perhaps a thousand

In my hurried southern trips

Rose a sad

Old colored preacher

From his little wooden desk

With a manner sort of awkward

And countenance grotesque

The simplicity and shrewdness

In his ethiopian face

Showed the wisdom

And the ignorance of a crushed undying race

And he said

Now don't be weeping

For this pretty bit of clay

For the little boy

Who lived there has done gone and run away

He was doing very finely

And he appreciates your love

But his shonough father wanted him

In the big house up above

The Lord didn't give you that baby

By no hundred thousand miles

He just think you need some sunshine

And he lent it for a while

And he let you keep

And love him till your hearts

Were bigger grown

And these silver tears you're shedding now

Are just interest on the loan

Just think my poor dear mourners

Creeping long on sorrows way

What a blessed picnic this here baby got today

Your good fathers and good mothers

Crowd the little fella round

In the angels tender garden

Of the big plantation ground

And his eyes they brightly sparkle

At the pretty things he view

But a tear came and he whispered

I want my parents too

But then the angel's chief musicians teach

That little boy a song

Says if only they be faithful

They'll soon be coming along

So my poor dear detached mourners

Let your hearts with Jesus rest

And don't go to criticizn the one

What knows the best

He has give us many comforts

He's got the right to take away

To the Lord be praised in glory

Forever let us pray