Page:The Riverside song book.djvu/45

 ODE FOR WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY.

Oliver Wendell Holmes.

1. Wel-come to the day re - turn-ing, Dear - er still as a - ges flow,

2. Hear the tale of youthful glo - ry, While of Brit-ain's res-cued band,

3. Look ! the shad-ow on the di - al, Marks the hour of deadlier strife;

4. Vain is Em-pire's mad temp-ta - tion! Not for him an earthly crown!

5. "By the name that you in - her-it. By the suf- f'rings you re-call,

6. Fa - ther! we whose ears have tin- gled With the dis- cord notes of shame,&mdash;

While the torch of faith is burn - ing, Long as free-dom's al- tars glow!

Friend and foe re - peat the sto - ry, Spread his fame o'er sea and land,

Days of ter - ror, years of tri - al. Scourge a na - tion in - to life.

He whose sword has freed a na - tion! Strikes the of - f ered sceptre down,

Cher -ish the fra ter -nal spir-it; Love your coun-try first of all!

We, whose sires their blood have mingled In the bat - tle's thunder flame,&mdash;

See the he - ro whom it gave us Slumb'ring on a mother's breast,

Where the red cross fond-ly streaming, Flaps a - bove the frig-ate's deck,

Lo, the youth, be - come her lead - er! All her baf - fled ty - rants yield;

See the throne-less conqueror seat - ed, Rul - er by a peo- ple's choice;

List - en not to i - dle questions If its bands may be un - tied;

Gath -'ring while this ho - ly morn-ing Lights the land from sea to sea,

For the arm he stetched to save us, Be its morn for - ev - er blest. Where the gold-en lil - ies, gleam-ing, Star the watchtow'rs of Que-bec.

Through his arm the Lord hath freed her; Crown him on the tent-ed field!

See the Pa - triot's task com-plet - ed; Hear the Fa- ther's dy - ing voice!

Doubt the pa - triot whose sug-ges-tions Strive a na - tion to di-vide!"

Hear thy coun-sel, heed thy warn-ing; Trust us, while we hon-or thee!