Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 

BY THOMAS GRAY

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

         The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

         And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

         And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

         And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r

         The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,

         Molest her ancient solitary reign.

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,

         Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,

Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,

         The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,

         The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,

The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,

         No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,

         Or busy housewife ply her evening care:

No children run to lisp their sire's return,

         Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.

Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,

         Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;

How jocund did they drive their team afield!

         How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,

         Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile

         The short and simple annals of the poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,

         And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,

Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.

         The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,

         If Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise,

Where thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault

         The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.

Can storied urn or animated bust

         Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?

Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,

         Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

         Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;

Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,

         Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre.

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page

         Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;

Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,

         And froze the genial current of the soul.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

         The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:

Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,

         And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast

         The little tyrant of his fields withstood;

Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,

         Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command,

         The threats of pain and ruin to despise,

To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,

         And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,

Their lot forbade: nor circumscrib'd alone

         Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd;

Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,

         And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,

         To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,

Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride

         With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,

         Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;

Along the cool sequester'd vale of life

         They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Yet ev'n these bones from insult to protect,

         Some frail memorial still erected nigh,

With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,

         Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse,

         The place of fame and elegy supply:

And many a holy text around she strews,

         That teach the rustic moralist to die.

For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,

         This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,

         Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,

         Some pious drops the closing eye requires;

Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,

         Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires.

For thee, who mindful of th' unhonour'd Dead

         Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;

If chance, by lonely contemplation led,

         Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,

         "Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away

         To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.

"There at the foot of yonder nodding beech

         That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,

His listless length at noontide would he stretch,

         And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

"Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,

         Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove,

Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,

         Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.

"One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,

         Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree;

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,

         Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

"The next with dirges due in sad array

         Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne.

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,

         Grav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,

         “Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,

         To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.”

There at the foot of yonder nodding beech

        That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,

His listless length at noontide would he stretch,

        And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,

         Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove;

Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,

        Or crazed with care, or cross’d in hopeless love.

One morn I miss’d him on the custom’d hill,

        Along the heath and near his favourite tree;

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,

        Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he.

The next with dirges due in sad array

        Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne;

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay

        Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.

THE EPITAPH

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth

       A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.

Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,

       And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,

       Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:

He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,

       He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.

No farther seek his merits to disclose,

       Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,

(There they alike in trembling hope repose)

       The bosom of his Father and his God.

I am sure that you must have grasped the poem very well. However, if not, no problem, you can reread the poem below starting with introduction and then reading line by line paraphrase along with meanings of difficult words. 

Introduction to Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray

Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is one of the most celebrated poems in English literature. Written in the mid-18th century and published in 1751, the poem reflects the growing sentimental and reflective spirit of the age, just before the Romantic Movement began. Gray composed much of it after the death of his close friend Richard West, and the poem carries a deep sense of personal sorrow and philosophical reflection.

The poem opens at twilight in a quiet churchyard in the English countryside. Gray imagines himself standing among the graves of humble villagers as evening falls and the world grows still. This peaceful yet solemn setting immediately shapes the tone of the poem, leading the poet to reflect on the inevitable destiny of all human beings—rich and poor alike. By looking at the graves of ordinary, forgotten people, Gray meditates on life, death, memory, human potential, and social inequality.

At the heart of the poem is Gray’s belief that every human life, however obscure, contains unrealized talents and silent virtues. Poverty and circumstance may have kept these villagers from fame or power, but their emotions, joys, sorrows, and dreams were just as real as those of great leaders and poets. In this way, the elegy becomes a tribute to the dignity of common human life.

The poem slowly moves from the quiet rural scene to broader reflections on human ambition, the fear of being forgotten, and finally to the poet’s own imagined death. The churchyard thus becomes a symbolic space where Gray contemplates the universal truths of existence.

Line by Line paraphrase / explanation and meanings of important / difficult words 

Here I present for you line by line paraphrase of the poem along with meanings of important / difficult words. Remember that simple font means the original line of the poem. italicized letters means it is meanings of important / difficult words and bold letters means it is the paraphrase of the line above.

Stanza 1

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, (curfew= time to remain at home, toll = ring a large bell slowly, knell= stroke on the bell indicating death) 

The evening bell marks the end of the day,  

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, (lowing = crying of a cow or calf. herd = group of animals, wind = bend, lea = grassland

The lowing herd of cattle is slowly returning across the meadow making a winding pattern, 

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way, (ploughman = farmer who ploughs, plod- move with heavy steps, weary= tired)

The tired farmer walks home with heavy steps from his work, 

And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

and the world is left in darkness, with only me for company.

Stanza 2

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight, (fade= to become dim)

The fading light makes the landscape hard to see, 

And all the air a solemn stillness holds, ( solemn = serious, stillness = silence)

and a peaceful stillness fills the air

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight, (save= except, wheel = to run a wheel or wing, droning = buzzing)

except for the buzzing sound of a flying beetle, 

And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds to sleep; ( drowsy = causing sleep, tinklings= faint sound of bells, fold = flock of sheep, lull= to cause to sleep)

and the distant faint sound of sheep bells lulling the flocks to sleep

Stanza 3

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower , ( ivy = a vine, ivy mantled – ivy covered) 

Except that the only other sound that comes from the ivy-covered tower 

The moping owl does to the moon complain  (moping = melancholic)

is where a melancholy owl complains to the moon 

Of such, as wandering near her secret bower, ( bower = a shelter) 

about those who disturb her quiet, lonely domain by wandering too close to her hidden home  

Molest her ancient solitary reign. ( molest = persecute/defile, solitary = lonely, rein = domination)

and defiling her old and solitary domination 

Stanza 4

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade (rugged = rough and strongly built)

Under the old elm trees and the shade of the yew tree, 

Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap, ( heave = to rise and fall, turf = surface, mouldering = decaying)

where the earth rises in many decaying graves

Each in his narrow cell forever laid, (narrow cell = grave)

Each of the simple ancestors of the village, the rude forefathers is laid in his narrow cell (grave)

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

The rude forefathers rest forever in their narrow graves.

Stanza 5

The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn, ( breezy = full of breeze, incense = fragrance)

The refreshing air of morning, filled with the scent of flowers, 

The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,

the chirping of swallows from the shed of the barn,

The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,

the rooster’s loud call, or the sound of the hunting horn,

No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed. ( They will not wake up from their graves by chirping of swallows or cock’s loud call or the sound of the hunting horn)

will never wake them from their humble graves again. 

Stanza 6

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn ( For them, no more fire in the hearth shall be burnt) 

They will no longer feel the warmth of a burning fire,

Or busy housewife ply her evening care:

or watch their wives doing household chores at night:

No children run to lisp their sire's return,

No children will rush to greet them with lisping tongue when they come home,

Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.( envied because when father comes and kisses the children, there is competition and envy whom father loves more/kisses more)

or climb onto their laps to share envied kisses. 

Stanza 7

Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, (harvest = crop, sickle= curved blade, yield= produce)

Often the harvest yielded to their sickles, 

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke; (Furrow = trench in the field made by plough, oft = often, stubborn = unreasonably unyielding, glebe= field, broke= broken)

and they broke the tough soil with their ploughs; 

How jocund did they drive their team afield! (Jocund = joyfully, afield = on the field)

How joyfully they guided their oxen through the fields!

How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke! ( sturdy =hardy, stroke = stroke of axe)

How the trees bent under the force of their axes! 

Stanza 8

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, ( ambition = ardent desire, mock = scorn)

Ambition should not scorn their hard work,

Their homely joys, and destiny obscure; (homely = simple, obscure = not distinguished/humble)

their simple pleasures, or their humble lives; 

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile (Grandeur = wealthy person, disdainful = lack of respect)

nor should the wealthy look down with a sneer 

The short and simple annals of the poor. ( record of events)

on the modest and brief life stories of the poor. 

Stanza 9

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, (heraldry = ancestry, pomp = show/display)

The pride of noble ancestry, the show of power,  

And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,

And everything that beauty or wealth ever provided,

Awaits alike the inevitable hour. (inevitable = unavoidable/that is certain to happen, hour = death)

all come to the same unavoidable end. 

The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

The road to glory still leads to the grave.

Stanza 10

Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault, ( Impute = Attribute/blame)

And you wealthy or proud people must not blame these humble villagers,  

If Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise, (Trophies = monument/ structure)

If there are no grand monuments, statues, or memorials built over their graves, 

Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault ( Aisle = passageway between rows, fretted = divided into frets)

like the ones found in large churches with long aisles and beautifully carved ceilings, 

The pealing anthem swells the note of praise. ( Pealing anthem = joyful music with anthem)

where glorious music and solemn hymns echo to honor the dead. 

Stanza 11

an storied urn or animated bust ( storied = decorated, urn = pot, animated = lifelike, bust= sculpture having head and chest only)

Can a decorated urn or a lifelike sculpture

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath? (mansion = palace)

bring back life to a person who has died? 

Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust, (silent dust= dead body)

Can the voice of Honor bring a response from the dead, 

Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?

or can flattery please the dull and cold ear of Death?

Stanza 12

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

Perhaps in this forgotten and unattended graveyard lies buried

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; (celestial = heavenly, fire= potential)

a person whose heart was once filled with extraordinary talent, passion, and inspiration, almost divine in nature,

Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd, , (sway= move slowly side by side)

and hands that might have ruled a nation or held political power, 

Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre. (ecstasy = great joy, lyre= stringed musical instrument)

or hands that might have created beautiful poetry or music that could deeply move people. 

Stanza 13

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page 

However, the vast pages of knowledge that the goddess of knowledge could reveal to them

Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;

were never unrolled to be shown to them, but their potential was spoiled by the spoilage of time.

 Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,

Severe poverty suppressed their natural ambition and desire to achieve great things,

And froze the genial current of the soul. (genial = congenial/amiable)

and it stifled their congenial inner potential. 

Stanza 14

Full many a gem of purest ray serene, (serene= calm and relaxed, ray= beam)

Many gems of pure beauty

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear: (unfathomed = unmeasured depth)

lie hidden in the unfathomed deep, dark ocean,

Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen, (blush= bloom)

and many beautiful flowers bloom unseen in remote places, 

And waste its sweetness on the desert air. (sweetness= sweet fragrance)

wasting their fragrance in the wilderness. 

Stanza 15

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast ( Hampden = perhaps a patriot John Hampden who resisted King Charles’ illegal taxes) (dauntless breast=without fear)

There may be a villager like Hampden, who bravely 

The little tyrant of his fields withstood; (Tyrant = oppressor, withstood = stood against)

stood against a local oppressor

Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest, (Milton= a famous poet)

There may be a Milton here, whose genius never found a voice, 

Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood. (Cromwell = a political leader)

or a Cromwell who never led his country into bloodshed. 

Stanza 16

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command, (applause = clapping)

They were never able to command the applause of a listening governing body like senate, 

The threats of pain and ruin to despise, (and do what they like)

or rise above threats of suffering and ruin,

To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land, (plenty = prosperity, smiling land = beautiful country)

to bring prosperity to their land / country 

And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,

and be celebrated in the history of the nation.

Stanza 17

Their lot forbade: nor circumscrib'd alone (circumscrib'd= limit / restrict)

Their fate limited their reach and prevented them  

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd; (confine = restrict to a place)

from developing both their virtues and their vices, 

Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne, (they were forbidden by their fate to gain power through killing people)

They were never led to power through violence, 

And shut the gates of mercy on mankind, ( Their fate prevented them from becoming cruel / merciless to mankind like cruel kings)

nor did they ever deny mercy to others. 

Stanza 18

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide, (pangs = a sudden sharp pain)

They never had to suffer from the pain of struggle to consciously hide the truth from the public, 

To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,

or they did not have to suppress the natural feeling of shame of guilt or guilt of hiding the truth,

Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride

nor did they have to heap praise upon wealthy people living in luxury just to gratify the pride of such people

With incense kindled at the Muse's flame. (They did not have to resort to flattery of the rich and the powerful just for money) (incense = poetic inspiration, kindle = burn, Muse’s flame = at the cost the goddess of poetry)

at the cost/expense of true art or poetic inspiration.

Stanza 19

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, ( ignoble= not honourable , strife= struggle)

Far away from the chaos and unworthy struggles of society

Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;

their modest desires remained simple and steady;

Along the cool sequester'd vale of life  (vale= valley, sequestered = secluded)

they lived quietly and peacefully in the secluded valley of life, 

They kept the noiseless tenor of their way. (tenor = pattern)

following a quiet and uneventful routine. 

Stanza 20

Yet ev'n these bones from insult to protect,

Even these dead bodies are protected

Some frail memorial still erected nigh, (frail = weak, nigh = good)

from disrespect by erecting a weak and a simple memorial, 

With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd (uncouth = coarse / vulgar, decked = erected)

decorated with crude poetry and roughly made sculptures,

Implores the passing tribute of a sigh. ( implore = request)

asking for a moment of sympathy from those who pass by. 

Stanza 21

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse, (th' unletter'd muse,= uneducated person)

Their names and years are spelt as an inscription by an uneducated hand,

The place of fame and elegy supply:

supplying the name of place which lend fame and writing a formal elegy;

And many a holy text around she strews,

and many religious texts are scattered around,

That teach the rustic moralist to die.

teaching simple country folk about death and morality.

Stanza 22

For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,

For who is the person who can accept Forgetfulness (death) like a wild animal catches a prey, and

This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,

who is the person who willingly accepts resignation (death) from a life that is mixture of happiness and sorrow,

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,

and leaves the bright, warm and cheerful world behind,

Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?

and not feels a longing, lingering look back at life?

Stanza 23

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,

In its final moments, a dying soul leans on (requires) the affection of the person who loves him,

Some pious drops the closing eye requires;

and needs tears from loved ones; when he departing,

Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,

Even from the grave (after death), the natural desire for being remembered continues to cry out,

Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires.

And even after death, in the ashes, our former passions, the things we loved, still burn and our passions remain there.

Stanza 24

For thee, who mindful of th' unhonour'd Dead

For you (the poet himself), who remember the uncelebrated dead

Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;

and tell their simple story, in these lines, so that

 If chance, by lonely contemplation led,

If someday a thoughtful soul ( a person like the poet), lost in reflection,

Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate, (enquires and comes to know about the poet himself buried here. The poet here imagines that like these simple folks he too will be buried here. Kindred = a relative. Spirit = a person)

happens to wonder and enquire about your own fate, 

Stanza 25

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say, (here the poet is visualizing his own death and he is buried there with other country folks. The grey-haired old country fellow is talking about the poet himself)

Perhaps some grey-haired old country fellow will say happily; 

"Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn (him = the poet himself. The poet visualizes that he is dead and old country fellow is talking about him)

“We have often seen him at dawn, 

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away

walking quickly with hasty steps through the morning dew

To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.

to greet the rising sun in the plains on the hill.”

Stanza 26

"There at the foot of yonder nodding beech (sway = nod = moves to and fro)

There, at the base of that beech tree that sways 

That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high, ( gnarled = knotty)

whose roots are gnarled and twisted and have risen above the ground in a fantastic pattern, 

His listless length at noontide would he stretch, (he= the poet himself)

he would lie down under the tree at noon to stretch himself,

And pore upon the brook that babbles by (babbling = murmuring, brook = small stream)

and stare into the babbling brook nearby. 

Stanza 27

"Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn, (hard by = near/close, smiling in scorn = mocking or teasing)

By that nearby wood, which seems to mock him, (him = the poet himself,)

Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove, (he = the poet himself, muttering = talking softly to himself, wayward fancies = strange thoughts, peculiar imaginations, rove = wander aimlessly)

he would wander aimlessly, muttering strange thoughts, 

Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn, ( drooping = hanging his head, feeling low, woeful wan = pale with sorrow, forlorn = lonely, abandoned)

sometimes looking sad and worn, like someone lost in grief, 

Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love. (crazed with care = overwhelmed with worries crossed in hopeless love = rejected in love,)

as if troubled by overwhelming worries or unrequited love. 

Stanza 28

"One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill, (Here the old fellow is saying about the poet that he did not see the poet, custom’d = usual)

One morning I didn’t see him on his usual hill, 

Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree; (heath = open uncultivated land)

by the heath or near his favorite tree; 

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,

another day passed, and still he wasn’t by the stream,

Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

or on the lawn, or in the woods.

Stanza 29

"The next with dirges due in sad array (The old fellow is saying that they saw him being carried for funereal, dirges due = with mourning, sad array = people dressed in sad clothes)

On the following day, we saw him carried by people in sad clothes in a solemn funeral procession 

Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne. ( borne = being carried)

along the path to the churchyard.  ( here the poet is visualizing his own grave and inscription on it)

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,

(Dear readers) Come closer and read (for you can read) the inscription 

Grav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."  (yon = rhere, aged = old)

engraved on the stone beneath the old thorn tree.” 

The Epitaph

Stanza 1

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth, ( the poet is visualizing his head lying in grave)

Here lies his head peacefully on the earth, as if resting in her lap; 

A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown; (a man= the poet himself)

he was a man who was not known to worldly wealth or fame, 

Fair Science frown’d not on his humble birth, ( fair science= learning and wisdom, frown = show displeasure)

though born in humble circumstances, learning and wisdom did not despise him; 

And Melancholy mark’d him for her own. 

but sadness (Melancholy) chose him as her special companion.

Stanza 2

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere;  (He = the poet himself, bounty = generosity)

He was very generous and his heart was honest and pure; 

Heav’n did a recompense as largely send: ( recompense = reward)

Heaven rewarded him just as greatly in return; 

He gave to Mis’ry all he had, a tear, ( misery = suffering)

he gave all that he had to suffering humanity —but he did not have too much he had only his sympathy and tears; 

He gain’d from Heav’n (‘twas all he wish’d) a friend. ( He did not desire much from God. He desired a friend or friendship of God and he got all that he desired.)

and he gained from Heaven what he desired most — God’s friendship / a friend. 

Stanza 3

No farther seek his merits to disclose,  ( his virtues = poet’s virtues)

Do not try to discover or reveal more of his virtues or disclose about his virtues, 

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, (his faults = poet’s faults, frailties = weaknesses)

nor attempt to uncover his faults from their fearful resting place (the grave); 

There they alike in trembling hope repose (repose – rest/sleep, trembling hope = both his virtues and vices are waiting for the day of judgement with hope and fear) 

both his virtues and his faults are now resting together in humble, trembling hope, 

The bosom of his Father and his God. (bosom = abode of God, means his soul is in heaven with God)

In heaven, in the merciful care of his Heavenly Father and his God.