| |
| BLESS the dear old verdant land! | |
| Brother, wert thou born of it? | |
| As thy shadow life doth stand | |
| Twining round its rosy band, | |
| Did an Irish mother’s hand | 5 |
| Guide thee in the morn of it? | |
| Did a father’s first command | |
| Teach thee love or scorn of it? | |
| |
| Thou who tread’st its fertile breast, | |
| Dost thou feel a glow for it? | 10 |
| Thou of all its charms possest, | |
| Living on its first and best, | |
| Art thou but a thankless guest | |
| Or a traitor foe for it, | |
| If thou lovest, where ’s the test? | 15 |
| Wilt thou strike a blow for it? | |
| |
| Has the past no goading sting | |
| That can make thee rouse for it? | |
| Does thy land’s reviving spring, | |
| Full of buds and blossoming, | 20 |
| Fail to make thy cold heart cling, | |
| Breathing lover’s vows for it? | |
| With the circling ocean’s ring | |
| Thou wert made a spouse for it. | |
| |
| Hast thou kept as thou shouldst keep | 25 |
| Thy affections warm for it, | |
| Letting no cold feeling creep | |
| Like an ice-breath o’er the deep, | |
| Freezing to a stony sleep | |
| Hopes the heart would form for it, | 30 |
| Glories that like rainbows peep | |
| Through the darkening storm for it? | |
| |
| Son of this down-trodden land, | |
| Aid us in the fight for it. | |
| We seek to make it great and grand, | 35 |
| Its shipless bays, its naked strand, | |
| By canvas-swelling breezes fanned: | |
| Oh, what a glorious sight for it, | |
| The past expiring like a brand | |
| In morning’s rosy light for it! | 40 |
| |
| Think, this dear old land is thine, | |
| And thou a traitor slave of it: | |
| Think how the Switzer leads his kine, | |
| When pale the evening star doth shine; | |
| His song has home in every line, | 45 |
| Freedom in every stave of it; | |
| Think how the German loves his Rhine | |
| And worships every wave of it! | |
| |
| Our own dear land is bright as theirs, | |
| But oh! our hearts are cold for it; | 50 |
| Awake! we are not slaves, but heirs. | |
| Our fatherland requires our cares, | |
| Our speech with men, with God our prayers; | |
| Spurn blood-stained Judas gold for it: | |
| Let us do all that honor dares— | 55 |
| Be earnest, faithful, bold for it! | |
| |
