In a combox, Daisy notes that a few lines from the prayer attributed to Bede Jarret, O.P. in the previous post (November 8 in the Month of All Souls) are also found in a song by Carly Simon (and Teesa Gohl).
So what is the source of the lines: And life is eternal and love immortal, and death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight?
The source from which I drew the quote stated that it was attributed to Bede Jarrett, a Dominican priest who died in 1934. That these same words appear in a Carly Simon song led me to do a little research and my results indicate that a stronger case may be made for naming Rossiter W. Raymond as the author. Raymond was a metallurgist who also wrote hymns! Still, in all the places where the quotation is attributed to Raymond, not one I found indicated the text from which his quote was drawn.
At least in online references, Carly Simon doesn't give credit for the words she incorporates into her lyrics -- but neither did the Very Reverend Dr.Wesley Carr, Dean of Westminster when he used them as part of the Bidding Prayer at the funeral of the Queen Mother in 2002!
Here are the lyrics to Simon's Life is Eternal:
I've been doing a lot of thinking
About growing older and moving on
Nobody wants to be told that they're getting on
For a long, long stay
But just how long and who knows
And how and where my spirit will go
Will it soar like jazz on a saxophone
Or evaporate on a breeze
Won't you tell me please
That life is eternal
And love is immortal
And death is only a horizon
Life is eternal
As we move into the light
And a horizon is nothing
Save the limit of our sight
Save the limit of our sight
Here on earth I'm a lost soul
Ever trying to find my way back home
Maybe that's why each new star is born
Expanding heaven's room Eternity in bloom
And will I see you up in that heaven
In all it's light will I know you're there
Will we say the things that we never dared
If wishing makes it so
Won't you let me know
That life is eternal
And love is immortal
And death is only a horizon
Life is eternal
As we move into the light
And a horizon is nothing
Save the limit of our sight
Save the limit of our sight
- Carly Simon/Teesa Gohl
Thank you Concord Pastor for researching Life is Immortal. Lovely lyrics. The tune is also very beautiful. I played it last night!
ReplyDeleteI love the photos you choose for each day for all souls. Some of them don't even need words to awaken my own words of comfort.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Regina, for your comments about the graphics on these posts. One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is choosing those images. And internet has hundreds/thousands of images for whatever the topic at hand might be.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how clearly and with what depth of color the internet and your computer screen are able to reproduce these images.
What a particular graphic adds to the post is amazing! Finding the right graphic is a joy for me - and I'm grateful for your words of appreciation.
Thanks for giving Rossiter W. Raymond the credit for that quote. You may find it interesting that Rossiter was not only a world renowned mining expert, but also an author or editor of 18 books, a world-wide traveler, a decorated civil war soldier, a poet, a sunday school teacher for 25 years at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn (when H.W. Beecher died, he was asked to succeed him), an accomplished orator, a lawyer (who presented in front of the supreme court) and, by all accounts, a fair, just and honest man. In case anyone is interested, you can learn more about him from the AIME Memorial to him.
ReplyDelete- David Eilers .. d@manyone.net