A band of faithful reapers we,
Who gather for eternity,
The golden sheaves of ripened grain
From every valley, hill and plain
Our song is one the reapers sing,
In honor of their Lord and king—
The Master of the harvest wide,
Who for a world of sinners died.
To the harvest field away,
For the Master calleth;
There is work for all today,
Ere the darkness falleth.
Swiftly do the moments fly,
Harvest days are going by,
Going, going, going, going by.
We are a faithful gleaning band,
And labor at our Lord’s command,
Unyielding, loyal, tried and true,
For lo! the reapers are but few;
Behold the waving harvest field,
Abundant with a golden yield;
And hear the Lord of harvest say
To all: "Go reap for Me today."
To the harvest field away,
For the Master calleth;
There is work for all today,
Ere the darkness falleth.
Swiftly do the moments fly,
Harvest days are going by,
Going, going, going, going by.
The golden hours like moments fly,
And harvest days are passing by;
Then take thy rusty sickle down,
And labor for a fadeless crown;
Why will you idly stand and wait?
Behold, the hour is growing late!
Can you to judgment bring but leaves,
While here are waiting golden sheaves?
To the harvest field away,
For the Master calleth;
There is work for all today,
Ere the darkness falleth.
Swiftly do the moments fly,
Harvest days are going by,
Going, going, going, going by.
Google AI Overview:
"To the Harvest Field" (or "To the Harvest Field Away") is a missionary-focused gospel hymn written by Charles H. Gabriel, a prolific American songwriter active in the late 19th/early 20th century. While specific personal anecdotes for this particular song are less documented than his hit "Send the Light," it fits within his prolific 1890s-1910s period of composing hymns for evangelistic campaigns, often intended for missionary work and bringing souls to Christ.
Context of Composer: Raised on an Iowa farm, Gabriel was largely self-taught, starting his music career as a traveling singing school teacher before gaining fame, particularly during his time in San Francisco (1890-1892) and later Chicago.
Missionary Focus: Songs like "To the Harvest Field" reflect the spirit of his other missionary work (e.g., "Send the Light," published 1890), which was encouraged by the popularity of revival movements.
Significance: It was recognized as one of Gabriel’s popular compositions during his career.
"To the Harvest Field" was part of the era of urgent evangelistic hymns that called for workers to "go" and "work" in the metaphorical harvest field of souls.
This song is Copyright © 2026 by Robert K. Lewis. Lyrics are by Charles H. Gabriel [1896?] and are in the Public Domain. Samplings are Copyrighted by their respective creators. The completed song is A.I. generated by MusicHero.ai and is Licensed to Robert K. Lewis. You may link to this song, but not embed or reproduce this song elsewhere on the internet.
