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[1876]
OUR fathers’ God! from out whose hand | |
| The centuries fall like grains of sand, | |
| We meet to-day, united, free, | |
| And loyal to our land and Thee, | |
| To thank Thee for the era done, | 5 |
| And trust Thee for the opening one. | |
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| Here, where of old, by Thy design, | |
| The fathers spake that word of Thine | |
| Whose echo is the glad refrain | |
| Of rended bolt and falling chain, | 10 |
| To grace our festal time, from all | |
| The zones of earth our guests we call. | |
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| Be with us while the New World greets | |
| The Old World thronging all its streets, | |
| Unveiling all the triumphs won | 15 |
| By art or toil beneath the sun; | |
| And unto common good ordain | |
| This rivalship of hand and brain. | |
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| Thou, who hast here in concord furled | |
| The war flags of a gathered world, | 20 |
| Beneath our Western skies fulfil | |
| The Orient’s mission of good-will, | |
| And, freighted with love’s Golden Fleece, | |
| Send back its Argonauts of peace. | |
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| For art and labor met in truce, | 25 |
| For beauty made the bride of use, | |
| We thank Thee; but, withal, we crave | |
| The austere virtues strong to save, | |
| The honor proof to place or gold, | |
| The manhood never bought nor sold! | 30 |
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| Oh make Thou us, through centuries long, | |
| In peace secure, in justice strong; | |
| Around our gift of freedom draw | |
| The safeguards of thy righteous law: | |
| And, cast in some diviner mould, | 35 |
| Let the new cycle shame the old! | |
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