Where in the world have the old songs gone That sang our youth to sleep?
And where the songs men used to sing Their souls safely to keep?
Sing a new song to the Lord The old songs are forgotten, are forgotten
Sing the breaking of the sword The young child must be got
And sing the darkness into light Sing till blindness yields to sight, yields to sight
Where in the world have the old songs gone That sang the harvest full?
And where the songs the plowmen knew To make the oxen poor?
Sing a new song to the Lord Of wind and laughing water, laughing water
Sing to sleep the hate-born horde And if the lamb still goes to slaughter
Sing that death is overthrown Sing the seed of mercy sown, sing it so
Where in the world have the old songs gone The old man and his lyre?
And all the songs that gathered warm Around the winter fire?
Sing a new song to the Lord The old songs are forgotten, are forgotten
Sing the breaking of the sword The young child must be got
And sing the darkness into light Sing till blindness yields to sight, yields to sight
Where in the world have the old songs gone The songs of ancient yearning?
And all the songs that lived so long And were our only learning?
Sing a new song to the Lord Of wind and laughing water, laughing water
Sing to sleep the hate-born horde And though the lamb still goes to slaughter
Sing that death is overthrown Sing the seed of mercy sown, sing it so