Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap!
Who is it rapping to-night?
Only invisible friends,
Come from those chambers whose light
Radiantly earth-ward descends,
Those whose dear forms you have covered from sight,
And mark'd by a marble shaft solemn and white,
Have come from the land where their life bloom'd anew,
And lo! by those raps they are talking to you.
Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap!
Daintiest fingers of air
Wake the most delicate sound
Rapping on table or chair,
Lov'd ones of earth gather round
Making us know that our lov'd ones have come,
Come back to our hearts, and their dear earthly home,
Forget they will never, thro' glory bath'd years,
How lonely they left us in sadness and tears.
Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap!
Guests we would honour are here!
Hear the light rappings, and know
Visiting Angels are near,
Greeting their earth friends below!
Oh, bid them welcome, in garments of white,
To hearts which are pure and illumin'd with light;
They wander at will o'er two wonderful lands,
Oh, list to their counsels, and give them your hands.
Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap! Rap, rap, rap!
Lov'd ones are rapping to-night;
Heaven seems not far away;
Death's sweeping river is bright,
Soft is the sheen of its spray.
Magical changes those rappings have wrought,
Sweet hope to the hopeless their patter has brought,
And death is bridg'd over with amaranth flow'rs:
Blest Spirits come back from their bright homes to ours.