It Is Not Death to Die

Representative Text

1 It is not death to die,–
To leave this weary road,
And, 'mid the brotherhood on high,
To be at home with God.

2 It is not death to close
The eye long dimmed by tears,
And wake, in glorious repose
To spend eternal years.

3 It is not death to bear
The wrench that sets us free
From dungeon chain, to breathe the air
Of boundless liberty.

4 It is not death to fling
Aside this sinful dust,
And rise, on strong exulting wing,
To live among the just.

5 Jesus, thou Prince of life,
Thy chosen cannot die!
Like thee, they conquer in the strife,
To reign with thee on high.

AMEN.

Source: The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal: official hymnal of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church #556

Author: César Malan

Rv Henri Abraham Cesar Malan, 1787-1864. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, into a bourgeois family that moved to Switzerland to escape religious persecution during the French Revolution, he attended the university in Marseilles, France, intending to become a businessman. Although having some grounding in religious faith by his mother, he decided to attend the Academy at Geneva (founded by Calvin) in preparation for ministry. He was ordained in 1810, after being appointed a college master (teaching Latin) in 1809. Malan was in accord with the National Church of Geneva as a Unitarian, but the Reveil Movement caused him to become a dissident (evangelical) instead of a proponent of the Reformed Church (believing works, not faith, was what mattere… Go to person page >

Translator: George W. Bethune

Bethune, George Washington, D.D. A very eminent divine of the Reformed Dutch body, born in New York, 1805, graduated at Dickinson Coll., Carlisle, Phila., 1822, and studied theology at Princeton. In 1827 he was appointed Pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church, Rinebeck, New York. In 1830 passed to Utica, in 1834 to Philadelphia, and in 1850 to the Brooklyn Heights, New York. In 1861 he visited Florence, Italy, for his health, and died in that city, almost suddenly after preaching, April 27, 1862. His Life and Letters were edited by A. R. Van Nest, 1867. He was offered the Chancellorship of New York University, and the Provostship of the University of Pennsylvania, both of which he declined. His works include The Fruits of the Spirit, 1839; Ser… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: It is not death to die, To leave this weary road
Title: It Is Not Death to Die
Author: César Malan (1832)
Translator: George W. Bethune (1847)
Meter: 6.6.8.6
Language: English
Notes: Arabic translation: See ليس موت الجسم موتا by Salīm Abdel Ahad
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

It is not death to die. A translation of Caesar Malan's " Non, ce n'est pas mourir," (q.v.) from his Lays, 1847, p. 141, in 5 stanzas of 4 1ines. As stated above, Dr. Bethune died at Florence. His remains were taken to New York, and buried in Greenwood Cemetery. This hymn, in compliance with a request made by him before his death, was sung at his funeral. It is found in several English hymnals.

-John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 174)
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A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs #393

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A Collection of Hymns #426

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #961

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #466

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Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #561

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Book of Worship #87

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Book of Worship #466

Cân a Mawl #232b

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Christ in Song #662

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Christian Hymns #101

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Christian Praise #588

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Christian Praise #247

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Christian Praise #247

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #615

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #615

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #252

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Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #252

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Church Hymns and Tunes #500

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Common Praise #529

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #504

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Crown of Beauty #240

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Deutsches Lieder- und Melodienbuch #a447

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Evangelical Hymnal #578

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #533

Familiar Hymns #16a

Familiar Hymns #16b

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Gipsy Smith's Mission Hymnal #CH252

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Hallowed Songs #256

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Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home. (Rev. ed.) #703

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Hymn and Tune Book for Use in Old School or Primitive Baptist Churches #535

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #627

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #627

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Hymn Book of the United Evangelical Church #578

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Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #813

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Hymnal Amore Dei #326

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Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #97

Tune InfoPage Scan

Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #555

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #723

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #993

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #993

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Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #282

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Hymnal, Amore Dei #326

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Hymnal, Amore Dei. Rev. ed. #a326

Text

Hymnal #97

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Hymnal #97

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Hymns and Carols for Church and Sunday-school #149

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship #603

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship. (Rev. ed.) #603

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Hymns and Songs of Praise for Public and Social Worship #1332

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Hymns and Spiritual Songs #182b

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Hymns and Tunes #447

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Hymns for All Christians #L45

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Hymns for all Christians #245

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Hymns for the Reformed Church in the United States #443

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #1088

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Hymns of the Ages #632

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Hymns of the Ages #632

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Hymns of the Centuries (Chapel Edition) #288

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Hymns of the Church Militant #611

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Hymns of the Church Universal #514

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Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #380

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Hymns of the Faith #505

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Hymns of the United Church #464

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Hymns of the United Church #464

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Hymns of Worship and Service #441

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #441

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Hymns of Worship and Service #441

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Hymns Recommended for use in the Reformed Episcopal Church #155

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Hymns, Psalms and Gospel Songs #277

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In Excelsis #804

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In Excelsis #a804

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Laudes Domini #1100

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Laudes Domini #542

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Lutheran Hymnal for the Sunday School #89

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New Manual of Praise #591

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Offices of Worship and Hymns #1299

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #1189

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Sacred Hymns and Tunes #368

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School and Parish Hymnal #272

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Service Hymnal #583

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Shook's Song Evangelist #11

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Songs for the Lord's House #536

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #1203

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1203

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1203

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1203

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Songs of Devotion for Christian Assocations #10

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Songs of the Christian Life #473

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Songs of the Church #780

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Standard Hymns and Spiritual Songs #90

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Sursum Corda #735

The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #565

Pages

Exclude 170 pre-1979 instances
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