Oh, lovely appearance of death
What sight upon earth is so fair?
Not all the gay pageants that breathe
Can with a dead body compare
In solemn delight I survey
A corpse when the spirit is fled
In love with the beautiful clay
And longing to lie in its stead 

Its languishing pain is at rest
Its aching and aching are o'er 
The quiet immovable breast
Is pained by affliction no more
The heart it no longer receives
Of trouble and torturing pain
It ceases to flutter and beat
It never shall flutter again

Oh, lovely appearance of death
What sight upon earth is so fair?
Not all the gay pageants that breathe
Can with a dead body compare
In solemn delight I survey
A corpse when the spirit is fled
In love with the beautiful clay
And longing to lie in its stead