TO MOUNT SIERRA.
Thou grand old granite mountainCanst tell me what thy age?What secrets art thou holdingWithin thy heart O sage.Couldst man find out by delvingDeep in thy stony breast,How long thou hast been rearingOn high, thy hoary crest.Hadst thou e’er a beginning?Wilt thou in death e’er fall?Canst thou these questions answer?On thee I humbly call.Is life, within thy bosom?Or art thou cold and dead?Thou standest in thy myst’ryNo tears of misery shed.Thy heart, thy life is granite,Thou carest not for woe.If tear thou ever sheddestIt turns to ice and snow.But why seek I thy secrets,Thou haughty mountain king?Thou wilt not give me answer,No knowledge to me bring.—The wind doth give me answerThat thou wast born of fire.Thou claimest Earth as mother,Jehovah is thy sire.Farewell O Mount Sierra!I leave thee to thy rest.But, man will wrench thy secretsIn future from thy breast.
Thou grand old granite mountainCanst tell me what thy age?What secrets art thou holdingWithin thy heart O sage.Couldst man find out by delvingDeep in thy stony breast,How long thou hast been rearingOn high, thy hoary crest.Hadst thou e’er a beginning?Wilt thou in death e’er fall?Canst thou these questions answer?On thee I humbly call.Is life, within thy bosom?Or art thou cold and dead?Thou standest in thy myst’ryNo tears of misery shed.Thy heart, thy life is granite,Thou carest not for woe.If tear thou ever sheddestIt turns to ice and snow.But why seek I thy secrets,Thou haughty mountain king?Thou wilt not give me answer,No knowledge to me bring.—
The wind doth give me answerThat thou wast born of fire.Thou claimest Earth as mother,Jehovah is thy sire.Farewell O Mount Sierra!I leave thee to thy rest.But, man will wrench thy secretsIn future from thy breast.