AMERICA TO GREAT BRITAIN. ALL hail, thou noble land, Α Our Fathers' native soil! O, stretch thy mighty hand, O'er the vast Atlantic wave to our shore! The world o'er! The Genius of our clime From his pine-embattled steep While the Tritons of the deep With their conchs the kindred league shall proclaim. Then let the world combine, O'er the main our naval line Like the Milky-Way shall shine Though ages long have past Since our Fathers left their home, O'er untravelled seas to roam, Yet lives the blood of England in our veins! That blood of honest fame While the language free and bold How the vault of Heaven rung From rock to rock repeat Round our coast; While the manners, while the arts, That mould a nation's soul, Between let Ocean roll, Our joint communion breaking with the Sun: Yet still from either beach The voice of blood shall reach, More audible than speech, "We are One." Washington Allston. |