Our afternoon of life has come,
Its darkening hours are here;
The evening shadows lengthen,
And the night is drawing near;
To some the sky is bright, to some
With clouds is overcast;
But still upon our Present smiles
The Light of Days long past.

The Autumn of our life is here,
Its summer flowers are dead;
But still the wine-cup charms us,
And young lips rosy-red.
What though the river to the sea
Runs steadily and fast?
Upon its shifting waves still smiles
The Light of Days long past.

We meet here as we met of old,
Kind words to say or sing;
Forgetting age, and all the cares
That age and losses bring:
The friendships sealed in younger days
Still firm and faithful last,
And newer friendships brighten in
The Light of Days long past.