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| COLUMBIA, Columbia, to glory arise, | |
| The queen of the world, and the child of the skies! | |
| Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold, | |
| While ages on ages thy splendors unfold. | |
| Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time, | 5 |
| Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime; | |
| Let the crimes of the east ne’er encrimson thy name, | |
| Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame. | |
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| To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire; | |
| Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire; | 10 |
| Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend, | |
| And triumph pursue them, and glory attend. | |
| A world is thy realm: for a world be thy laws, | |
| Enlarged as thine empire, and just as thy cause; | |
| On freedom’s broad basis, that empire shall rise, | 15 |
| Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies. | |
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| Fair Science her gates to thy sons shall unbar, | |
| And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star. | |
| New bards, and new sages, unrivall’d shall soar | |
| To fame unextinguish’d, when time is no more; | 20 |
| To thee, the last refuge of virtue designed, | |
| Shall fly from all nations the best of mankind; | |
| Here, grateful to heaven, with transport shall bring | |
| Their incense, more fragrant than odors of spring. | |
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| Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend, | 25 |
| And genius and beauty in harmony blend; | |
| The graces of form shall awake pure desire, | |
| And the charms of the soul ever cherish the fire; | |
| Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refined, | |
| And virtue’s bright image, instamp’d on the mind, | 30 |
| With peace, and soft rapture, shall teach life to glow, | |
| And light up a smile in the aspect of woe. | |
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| Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display, | |
| The nations admire, and the ocean obey; | |
| Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold, | 35 |
| And the east and the south yield their spices and gold. | |
| As the day-spring unbounded, thy splendor shall flow, | |
| And earth’s little kingdoms before thee shall bow: | |
| While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurl’d, | |
| Hush the tumult of war, and give peace to the world. | 40 |
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| Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o’erspread, | |
| From war’s dread confusion I pensively stray’d— | |
| The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired; | |
| The winds ceased to murmur; the thunders expired; | |
| Perfumes, as of Eden, flow’d sweetly along, | 45 |
| And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung: | |
| “Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, | |
| The queen of the world and the child of the skies.” | |
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