 | The poetical works of Samuel Woodworth |  |
WHILE AROUND THE FESTIVE BOARD.
WRITTEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF A SOCIETY OF PRINTERS.
While around the festive board
The son of Freedom throng,
And bid her praises rise
In patriotic song;
Ye brethren of our heaven-born art
Unite to hail the day;
Let joy expand each patriot heart,
Each tongue assist the lay.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
The son of Freedom throng,
And bid her praises rise
In patriotic song;
Ye brethren of our heaven-born art
Unite to hail the day;
Let joy expand each patriot heart,
Each tongue assist the lay.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
176
Mankind in darkness groped,
Their blind and erring way,
Deep veiled in Gothic shades,
With scarce a glimpse of day,
Till Faust arose and bid our art
Illume their darkened mind;
Then independence fired the heart
Which knowledge had refined.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Their blind and erring way,
Deep veiled in Gothic shades,
With scarce a glimpse of day,
Till Faust arose and bid our art
Illume their darkened mind;
Then independence fired the heart
Which knowledge had refined.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
But long they sought in vain
To win the heavenly prize;
Oppression's lengthened reign
Their ardent wish denies,
Till o'er our hard-earned western soil
He dared his sceptre wield;
'T was then our sires, with blood and toil
Gained freedom and the field.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
To win the heavenly prize;
Oppression's lengthened reign
Their ardent wish denies,
Till o'er our hard-earned western soil
He dared his sceptre wield;
'T was then our sires, with blood and toil
Gained freedom and the field.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Then smiling peace was ours,
And every earthly bliss,
Till Europe's treacherous powers
Betrayed us with a kiss.
But, like our fathers, now we'll rise,
Our birthrights to maintain—
Swear by the God of earth and skies
No tyrant here shall reign.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
And every earthly bliss,
177
Betrayed us with a kiss.
But, like our fathers, now we'll rise,
Our birthrights to maintain—
Swear by the God of earth and skies
No tyrant here shall reign.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Then let the foe advance,
The press shall still inspire,
To wield the missive lance,
Or guide the vengeful fire;
And here we swear, when Freedom calls
We'll not refuse to die;
The foe shall see beneath our balls
His columns fall in pi.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
The press shall still inspire,
To wield the missive lance,
Or guide the vengeful fire;
And here we swear, when Freedom calls
We'll not refuse to die;
The foe shall see beneath our balls
His columns fall in pi.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Long ere a foreign flag
O'ertops Columbia's stripes,
We'll forge our sticks to arms,
To balls convert our types.
We'll never flinch, but give them chase,
Display our mystic stars;
Our eagle still shall hold his place,
And hurl the shafts of Mars.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
O'ertops Columbia's stripes,
178
To balls convert our types.
We'll never flinch, but give them chase,
Display our mystic stars;
Our eagle still shall hold his place,
And hurl the shafts of Mars.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Who threats with foreign rule
Our shooting-sticks defy;
We'll have a brush with all,
Before we take the lie.
We'll hush the English lion's roar,
French cannon we'll compose,
The form of tyranny beat o'er,
And hot-press all our foes.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Our shooting-sticks defy;
We'll have a brush with all,
Before we take the lie.
We'll hush the English lion's roar,
French cannon we'll compose,
The form of tyranny beat o'er,
And hot-press all our foes.
Arise, 't is Freedom's natal morn,
Ye sons of Faust, arise!
For ever swear to guard
The dearly-purchased prize.
Long may we keep the morn,
Which gave our nation birth,
And when, at length, our works
Are finished here on earth—
May we our Heavenly Author meet,
(Our earthly forms forsook,)
And each become a perfect sheet
In his eternal book.
Till then, on Freedom's natal morn,
Let joyful pæans rise:
To-day for us was born
The goddess of the skies.
Which gave our nation birth,
And when, at length, our works
Are finished here on earth—
179
(Our earthly forms forsook,)
And each become a perfect sheet
In his eternal book.
Till then, on Freedom's natal morn,
Let joyful pæans rise:
To-day for us was born
The goddess of the skies.
| The poetical works of Samuel Woodworth | |