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193
THE LAUNCH.
Behold her, as an empress proud,
In primal beauty stand!
And hark! the blows sound quick and loud
Her long farewell to land.
Yes, noble ship! thy long farewell
To rest upon the shore:
The tide has pledged thee by the swell,
And thou shalt thirst no more.
In primal beauty stand!
And hark! the blows sound quick and loud
Her long farewell to land.
Yes, noble ship! thy long farewell
To rest upon the shore:
The tide has pledged thee by the swell,
And thou shalt thirst no more.
Methinks the broad old Merrimac,
As he rolls by, with pride
Now on as fair a ship looks back
As ever graced his side;
In zenith splendor, while the sun
Smiles down from azure clear,
To set her forth a perfect one
As e'er he beamed on here.
As he rolls by, with pride
Now on as fair a ship looks back
As ever graced his side;
In zenith splendor, while the sun
Smiles down from azure clear,
To set her forth a perfect one
As e'er he beamed on here.
While rocks and woods those sounds repeat,
That o'er the waters peal,
Her life-pulse answers by its beat,—
Slow moves her stately keel.
She glides,—she shoots,—she forward springs,—
Ere yet she has unfurled,
Or even found, her ample wings,—
To gain the watery world.
That o'er the waters peal,
Her life-pulse answers by its beat,—
Slow moves her stately keel.
She glides,—she shoots,—she forward springs,—
Ere yet she has unfurled,
Or even found, her ample wings,—
To gain the watery world.
194
And there, among the river-waves,
As 't were a sacred rite,
Her maiden forehead, plunging, laves;
Then, shining, heaves to sight.
The sparkling waters leap, and play,
And sing on every side,
With wreaths for her espousal day;—
She hence is Ocean's bride!
As 't were a sacred rite,
Her maiden forehead, plunging, laves;
Then, shining, heaves to sight.
The sparkling waters leap, and play,
And sing on every side,
With wreaths for her espousal day;—
She hence is Ocean's bride!
O Thou, who mak'st yon sun to pour
His glory from on high,
This fair young ship in love watch o'er,
With ever guardian eye!
Thy hand controls the powers of air,—
Contains the billowy sea;
And we, in this baptismal prayer,
Commend her life to Thee!
His glory from on high,
This fair young ship in love watch o'er,
With ever guardian eye!
Thy hand controls the powers of air,—
Contains the billowy sea;
And we, in this baptismal prayer,
Commend her life to Thee!
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