ANTHOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS POETS (13)

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    BEFORE him rolls the dark, relentless¹ ocean； Behind him stretch the cold and barren sands； Wrapt in the mantle² of his deep devotion The Pilgrim kneels, and clasps his lifted hands；

    "God of our fathers, who hast safely brought us Through seas and sorrows, famine, fire, and sword； Who, in Thy mercies manifold hast taught us To trust in Thee, our leader and our Lord；

    "God, who hast send Thy truth to shine before us, A fiery³ pillar, beaconing on the sea； God, who hast spread thy wings of mercy o'er us； God, who hast set our children's children free,

    "Freedom Thy new-born nation here shall cherish； Grant us Thy covenant⁴, changing, sure： Earth shall decay； the firmament⁵ shall perish； Freedom and Truth, immortal⁶ shall endure."

    Face to the Indian arrows. Face to the Prussian guns, >From then till now the Pilgrim's vow⁷ Has held the Pilgrim's sons.

    He braved the red man's ambush⁸, He loosed the black man's chain； His spirit broke King George's yoke⁹ And the battleships of Spain.

    He crossed the seething¹⁰ ocean； He dared the death-strewn track； He charged in the hell of Saint Mihiel And hurled¹¹ the tyrant¹² back.

    For the voice of the lonely Pilgram Who knelt upon the strand¹³ A people hears three hundred years In the conscience of the land.

    Daughter of Truth and mother of Courage, Conscience, all hail！ Heart of New England, strength of the Pilgrims, Thou shalt prevail. Look how the empires rise and fall！ Athens robed in her learning and beauty, Rome in her royal lust¹⁴ for power- Each has flourished for her little hour, Risen and fallen and ceased to be. What of her by the Western Sea, Born and bred as the child of Duty, Sternest of them all？ She it is and she alone Who built on faith as her corner stone； Of all the nations none but she Knew that the truth shall make us free. Daughter of Courage, mother of heros, Freedom divine. Light of New England, Star of the Pilgrim, Still shalt thou shine. Yet even as we in our pride rejoice, Hark to the prophet's warning voice： "The Pilgrim's thrift¹⁵ is vanished And the Pilgrim's faith is dead, And the Pilgrim's God is banished¹⁶, And Mammon reigns¹⁷ in his stead； And work is damned as an evil, And men and women cry, In their restless haste, 'Let us spend and waste, And live； for to-morrow we die.'

    "And law is trampled¹⁸ under； And the nations stand aghast, As they hear the distant thunder Of the storm that marches fast； And we,——whose ocean borders Shut off the sound and the sight, We will wait for marching orders； The world has seen us fight； We have earned our days of revel¹⁹； 'On with the dance'！ we cry. It is pain to think； we will eat and drink！ And live； for to-morrow we die."

    "We have laughed in the eyes of danger； We have given our bravest and best； We have succored²⁰ the starving stranger； Others shall heed²¹ the rest.' And the revel never ceases； And the nations hold their breath； And our laughter peals²², and the mad world reels, To a carnival²³ of death.

    "Slaves of sloth²⁴ and the senses, Clippers of Freedom's wings, Come back to the Pilgrim's Army And fight for the King of Kings； Come back to the Pilgrim's conscience； Be born in the nation's birth； And strive again as simple men For the freedom of the earth. Freedom a free-born nation still shall cherish, Be this our covenant, unchanging, sure： Earth shall decay； the firmament shall perish； Freedom and Truth immortal shall endure."

    Land of our fathers, when the tempest rages, When the wide earth is racked with war and crime, Founded forever on the Rock of Ages, Beaten in vain by surging seas of time,

    Even as the shallop on the breakers riding, Even as the Pilgrim kneeling on the shore, Firm in thy faith and fortitude²⁵ abiding²⁶, Hold thou thy children free forever more.

    And when we sail as Pilgrims' sons and daughters The spirit's Mayflower into seas unknown, Driving across the waste of wintry waters The voyage every soul shall make alone,

    The Pilgrim's faith, the Pilgrim's courage grant us； Still shines the truth that for the Pilgrim shone. We are his seed； nor life nor death shall daunt²⁷ us. The port is Freedom！ Pilgrim heart, sail on！