 | Poems by John Howard Bryant |  |
131
HYMN.
Upon the nations' heart,
A mighty burden lies;
Two hundred years of crime and tears,
Of anguish, groans and sighs.
A mighty burden lies;
Two hundred years of crime and tears,
Of anguish, groans and sighs.
How long, O Lord! how long!
Crushed, trampled, peeled and dumb;
Shall thy bound children suffer wrong,
And no deliverer come?
Crushed, trampled, peeled and dumb;
Shall thy bound children suffer wrong,
And no deliverer come?
The eternal years sweep on—
Age after age, goes by—
Still waits the slave the breaking dawn,
The day-spring from on high.
Age after age, goes by—
Still waits the slave the breaking dawn,
The day-spring from on high.
“How long, O Lord! how long!”
When shall that cry to Thee,
Be lost in freedom's glorious song;
And shouts of jubilee?
When shall that cry to Thee,
Be lost in freedom's glorious song;
And shouts of jubilee?
A swift, awakening thrill,
Send through the nation's heart;
Make quick the conscience, pure the will,
And love of right impart.
Send through the nation's heart;
Make quick the conscience, pure the will,
And love of right impart.
132
Hasten, O Lord, the hour,
For which we wait and pray;
When Thy resistless breath of power,
Shell sweep the curse away.
For which we wait and pray;
When Thy resistless breath of power,
Shell sweep the curse away.
If men refuse, O God,
To set the captives free;
Break as of old the oppressors' rod,
And give them liberty.
To set the captives free;
Break as of old the oppressors' rod,
And give them liberty.
As Jesus from the tomb,
The buried Lazarus led;
Rend thou the slaves' deep night of gloom,
Oh, raise him from the dead.
The buried Lazarus led;
Rend thou the slaves' deep night of gloom,
Oh, raise him from the dead.
Written 1858.
| Poems by John Howard Bryant | |