The Teacher’s Work is Done
By Annie Pike Greenwood
In Memory of D. Karl Gottfried Maeser
Come, lay his books and papers by,
He shall not need them more,
The ink shall dry upon his pen,
So softly close the door.
His tired head, with locks of white,
And like the winter’s sun
Hath lain to peaceful rest to-night –
The teacher’s work is done.
His work is done; no care to-night
His tranquil rest shall break.
Sweet dreams, and with the morning light
On other shores he’ll wake.
His noble thoughts, his wise appeal,
His works that battles won;
But God doth know the loss we feel –
The teacher’s work is done.
We feel it, while we miss the hand
That made us brave to bear,
Perchance, in that near-touching land
His work did wait him there,
Perchance, when death its change hath wrought,
And this brief race is run,
His voice again shall teach. Who thought
The teacher’s work was done?
(1901)
If I weren’t busy, I’d go downstairs and check the 1948 hymnal, but I’m quite sure this was included in that book.
Mark is right again – p. 338, arranged for men’s voices.
I have the same book and remember seeing the same song.
My uncles sang this song at my grandfather’s funeral in 1980. I didn’t know which version of the Hymns it was in but glad to see it identified.
This was sung at my grandfather’s funeral in 2017. I hadn’t realized it had been in the hymnal at one point. Thanks for the additional context!
I’ve never heard it sung, but I knew that the first line, ‘Come lay his books and papers by,’ was the title of a hymn in the old hymn book. In my youth, I read the hymnal whenever I was bored in Sacrament meeting. Unfortunately I have a rather encyclopedic knowledge of what’s in there.
I am looking for the music for this song as well. How may I find it as I can’t find it on LDS org at all. Does anyone have a link to it?
Thanks!
Juli Tubbs
[Couldn’t find it online, but I scanned it from my grandmother’s hymnbook and sent it to Juli. — Ardis]