Cowen -- "beyond the clouds and beyond the tomb" -- 1880

Speranza 1880 I hear thee speak of a better land: thou call’st its children a happy band; tell me where is that radiant shore, shall we not seek it and weep no more? is it where the flower ot the orange blows and the fire-flies dance through the myrtle boughs? oh no ‘tis not there, not there, not there. not there, not there, my child. is it far away, in some region old, where the rivers wander o’er sands of gold, where the burning rays of the ruby shine, and the diamonds lights up the secret mine, and the pearl gleams forth from the coral strand, is it there, my brother, that better land? oh no ‘tis not there, not there, not there, not there, not there, not there. for eye hath not seen it my gentle boy, ear hath not heard its deep songs of joy; dreams cannot picture a world so fair sorrow and death may not enter there: time cannot breathe on its fadeless bloom for beyond the clouds and beyond the tomb is it there? ‘Tis there, my child. is it there? ‘Tis there, my child. ‘tis there, ‘tis there, that better land. -- Cowen.