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| TO Liberty’s enraptured sight, | |
| When first Columbia’s region shone, | |
| She hail’d it from her starry height, | |
| And, smiling, claimed it as her own. | |
| “Fair land,” the goddess cried, “be free! | 5 |
| Soil of my choice! to fame arise!” | |
| She spoke, and heaven’s minstrelsy | |
| Swell’d the loud chorus through the skies: | |
| All hail, forever great and free, | |
| Columbia—land of liberty. | 10 |
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| Columbia’s genius heard the strain, | |
| And proudly raised his drooping crest; | |
| His sons impatient fill’d the plain, | |
| While panted high each patriot’s breast: | |
| Their fetters they indignant spurn’d, | 15 |
| They waved their faulchions in the air, | |
| And where the goddess’ altar burn’d, | |
| From kneeling warriors rose the prayer— | |
| To die be ours, if thou art free, | |
| Columbia—land of liberty. | 20 |
| |
| War blew the clarion loud and long; | |
| Oppression led his legions on; | |
| To battle rush’d the patriot throng, | |
| And soon the glorious day was won— | |
| Each bleeding freeman smiled in death; | 25 |
| Flying he saw his country’s foes, | |
| And, wafted by his latest breath, | |
| To heaven the cheerful pæan rose— | |
| Content I die, for thou art free! | |
| Columbia—land of liberty. | 30 |
| |
| And shall we ever dim the fires | |
| That flames on Freedom’s hundred shrines? | |
| Shall glory’s children shame their sires? | |
| Shall cowards spring from heroes’ loins? | |
| No, by the blood our fathers shed, | 35 |
| O, Freedom! in thy holy cause, | |
| When streaming from the martyr’d dead, | |
| It seal’d and sanctified thy laws— | |
| We swear to keep thee great and free! | |
| Columbia—land of liberty. | 40 |
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