 | The Poetry of Real Life |  |
TO ENGLAND.
My Country dear; my dear, dear Fatherland!Of all thy many children there are none
That love thee more than I do—no, not one!
Thou on the mighty Sea hast laid thy hand,
And tamed him, like a lion—thou hast spanned
The Earth therewith, from rise to set of sun—
The mighty winds to do thy bidding run,
And o'er the elements thou hast command!
Yet do I flatter not, not even thee—
Far brighter had'st thou been, star of the Sea,
That flam'st upon the forehead of the deep,
Had'st thou shone only for Humanitie!
A light for all Mankind in view to keep,
The star that watches while the World doth sleep!
| The Poetry of Real Life | |