Mourn for the Thousands Slain

Mourn for the thousands slain,
The youthful and the strong;
Mourn for the wine cup’s fearful reign,
And the deluded throng.

Mourn for the ruined soul—
Eternal life and light,
Lost by the fiery, maddening bowl,
And turned to hopeless night.

Mourn for the lost; but call,
Call to the strong, the free;
Rouse them to shun that dreadful fall,
And to the refuge flee.

Mourn for the lost; but pray,
Pray to our God above,
To break the fell destroyer’s sway,
And show His saving love.

Author: Lydia Huntley Sigourney

Year: 1840

This temperance hymn is a well-known work of the prolific American poet Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791–1865), who wrote extensively on moral and social reform themes including the dangers of alcohol. It first appeared in publications around 1840; some hymnals list it anonymously or under variant attributions, but Sigourney is the primary and most accepted author.