For those who love music - 2nd week in Japan

Kirsten:  "There's this amazing song from the Japanese hymn book that we don't have in English. It's called, 'Waiting for the Reapers.'  During WWII, all missionaries were taken out of Japan, and the members wrote this song I believe."   [Since this song was found previous to WWII, I think what occurred was that the Japanese church members translated the song and adapted it to their hymn book.]

from books.google.com

Latter-Day Saints' Sunday School Hymn Book: The Word Companion of the Deseret Sunday School Song Book,

5th Edition, 1903.

No. 21 (page 30)  

                 VERSE 1

Waiting for the reapers' sickles,

Waves the whitened harvest field;

Harbingers of love and mercy,

Forward go and bind the sheaves.

Go, ye lab'rers, bold with courage,        [laborers]

Reap the golden-headed grain --

Ripened fields all waiting, waiting,

Since the Son of God was slain.

                  CHORUS 

Seize the torch, the torch, and wave it;

Zion's heralds loud proclaim;

Hallelujah! swell the chorus,

Jesus Christ our Lord shall reign.

                  VERSE 2

Waiting for the morrow's dawning,

Work ye while 'tis called today,

Lo, the harvest time now coming,

Jesus calls, make no delay.

Gather in the spacious garner

Seed-time harvest ushers in;

Wake the song, millennial glory

Dawns upon a world of sin.

(Sorry I couldn't get the hymn in any bigger)

(K-Mom here:  I looked for this song on You Tube and couldn't find it.   If anybody hears a "calling" and can find this hymn on You Tube, or even better, perform it in English or Japanese, and upload it, I'd love it!  I can fax it full size /the Japanese version/ since I have a paper copy.   Just email me at the email from which you get your weekly letter from me.)