Personal Poems, Complete






THE BARTHOLDI STATUE 1886

     The land, that, from the rule of kings,
     In freeing us, itself made free,
     Our Old World Sister, to us brings
     Her sculptured Dream of Liberty,

     Unlike the shapes on Egypt's sands
     Uplifted by the toil-worn slave,
     On Freedom's soil with freemen's hands
     We rear the symbol free hands gave.

     O France, the beautiful! to thee
     Once more a debt of love we owe
     In peace beneath thy Colors Three,
     We hail a later Rochambeau!

     Rise, stately Symbol! holding forth
     Thy light and hope to all who sit
     In chains and darkness! Belt the earth
     With watch-fires from thy torch uplit!

     Reveal the primal mandate still
     Which Chaos heard and ceased to be,
     Trace on mid-air th' Eternal Will
     In signs of fire: "Let man be free!"

     Shine far, shine free, a guiding light
     To Reason's ways and Virtue's aim,
     A lightning-flash the wretch to smite
     Who shields his license with thy name!

All books are sourced from Project Gutenberg