Hymns of the Kingdom ‎#94

94. Papa Don't Know the Way

1 A darling child was lying still,
Upon his dying bed;
He raised his eyes with earnest glance,
“up, up,” he faintly said.
The father stooped to lift him up,
But heard the sweet voice say,
“No! higher up! let mamma come,
For papa don’t know the way.”
Papa don’t’ know the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and lift me up,
For papa don’t know the way.

2 The father turned in grief away,
‘Twas hard for them to part;
But, oh! the tender words so true,
Pierced deep his sinful heart
With burdened soul he left the room,
But on that very day,
He sought the Christ his boy had loved,
And papa found out the way.
Papa has found the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and papa too,
For papa has found the way.

3 O, father, living on in sin,
If death should claim thy pride,
And seize with cold and icy hand
The darling at your side;
When his pure soul should wing it’s flight
From tenements of clay,
Would these sad words his lips repeat,
“Papa don’t know the way.”
Papa don’t’ know the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and lift me up,
For papa don’t know the way.

Text Information

• First Line: A darling child was lying still
• Title: Papa Don't Know the Way
• Author: H. J. Zelley, D.D.
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1905
• Notes: A true incident

Tune Information

• Name: [A darling child was lying still]
• Composer: J. Wesley Hughes