This edition was prepared by Thurlow Weed — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ashes Alone
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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Ashes Alone by Thurlow Weed — Lyrics
1. Ashes alone remain when life is done;
Garlands and laurels wither, fade, and burn;
Nothing of ours has immortality;
Such is the wisdom humankind must learn.
2. Ashes remain; the fire of human pride
Burns and consumes the doer and the deed;
Nothing remains of all we try to hold:
Pride of possession, science, natture, creed.
3. Ashes alone are our best offering;
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About Ashes Alone
This poignant hymn reflects on the transience of earthly life and the futility of human pride. The text, set in English for SATB choir, begins by contemplating the inevitable decay of worldly achievements and possessions, contrasting them with the enduring nature of divine love. It suggests that only when stripped of pride and material attachments, reduced to 'ashes alone,' can we truly be free to approach God. The final verse offers a prayer for spiritual resurrection, drawing a parallel to the creation of Adam from dust, and a plea to be raised to eternal life for everlasting praise. The composer's setting allows the choir to explore themes of humility, mortality, and redemption.
