XXXVIII.—HYMN OF THE MOUNTAINEERS.MRS. HEMANS.Mrs. Felicia Dorothea Hemans was born in England in 1794, and died in 1835. Her poetry is not only remarkable for purity and delicacy of feeling, but is often marked by ardent and vigorous expression.
MRS. HEMANS.
Mrs. Felicia Dorothea Hemans was born in England in 1794, and died in 1835. Her poetry is not only remarkable for purity and delicacy of feeling, but is often marked by ardent and vigorous expression.
1. For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!Thou hast made Thy children mighty, by the touch of the mountain sod.Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge[330]where the spoiler’s foot ne’er trod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!2. We are watchers of a beacon[331]whose light must never die;We are guardians of an altar midst the silence of the sky,The rocks yield founts of courage, struck forth as by Thy rod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our father’s God.3. For the dark-resounding caverns,[332]where Thy still, small voice is heard;For the strong pines of the forests, that by Thy breath is stirred;For the storms on whose free pinions[333]Thy spirit walks abroad;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!4. The royal eagle darteth on his quarry[334]from the heights,And the stag, that knows no master, seeks there his wild delights;But we, forThycommunion, have sought the mountain sod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!5. The banner of the chieftain far, far below us waves;The war-horse of the spearman cannot reach our lofty caves;Thy dark clouds wrap the threshold of Freedom’s last abode;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!6. For the shadow of Thy presence, round our camp of rock outspread;For the stern defiles of battle, bearing record of our dead;For the snows and for the torrents, for the free heart’s burial sod;For the strength of the hills, we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
1. For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!Thou hast made Thy children mighty, by the touch of the mountain sod.Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge[330]where the spoiler’s foot ne’er trod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!2. We are watchers of a beacon[331]whose light must never die;We are guardians of an altar midst the silence of the sky,The rocks yield founts of courage, struck forth as by Thy rod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our father’s God.3. For the dark-resounding caverns,[332]where Thy still, small voice is heard;For the strong pines of the forests, that by Thy breath is stirred;For the storms on whose free pinions[333]Thy spirit walks abroad;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!4. The royal eagle darteth on his quarry[334]from the heights,And the stag, that knows no master, seeks there his wild delights;But we, forThycommunion, have sought the mountain sod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!5. The banner of the chieftain far, far below us waves;The war-horse of the spearman cannot reach our lofty caves;Thy dark clouds wrap the threshold of Freedom’s last abode;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!6. For the shadow of Thy presence, round our camp of rock outspread;For the stern defiles of battle, bearing record of our dead;For the snows and for the torrents, for the free heart’s burial sod;For the strength of the hills, we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
1. For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!Thou hast made Thy children mighty, by the touch of the mountain sod.Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge[330]where the spoiler’s foot ne’er trod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
1. For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
Thou hast made Thy children mighty, by the touch of the mountain sod.
Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge[330]where the spoiler’s foot ne’er trod;
For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
2. We are watchers of a beacon[331]whose light must never die;We are guardians of an altar midst the silence of the sky,The rocks yield founts of courage, struck forth as by Thy rod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our father’s God.
2. We are watchers of a beacon[331]whose light must never die;
We are guardians of an altar midst the silence of the sky,
The rocks yield founts of courage, struck forth as by Thy rod;
For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our father’s God.
3. For the dark-resounding caverns,[332]where Thy still, small voice is heard;For the strong pines of the forests, that by Thy breath is stirred;For the storms on whose free pinions[333]Thy spirit walks abroad;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
3. For the dark-resounding caverns,[332]where Thy still, small voice is heard;
For the strong pines of the forests, that by Thy breath is stirred;
For the storms on whose free pinions[333]Thy spirit walks abroad;
For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
4. The royal eagle darteth on his quarry[334]from the heights,And the stag, that knows no master, seeks there his wild delights;But we, forThycommunion, have sought the mountain sod;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
4. The royal eagle darteth on his quarry[334]from the heights,
And the stag, that knows no master, seeks there his wild delights;
But we, forThycommunion, have sought the mountain sod;
For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
5. The banner of the chieftain far, far below us waves;The war-horse of the spearman cannot reach our lofty caves;Thy dark clouds wrap the threshold of Freedom’s last abode;For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
5. The banner of the chieftain far, far below us waves;
The war-horse of the spearman cannot reach our lofty caves;
Thy dark clouds wrap the threshold of Freedom’s last abode;
For the strength of the hills we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
6. For the shadow of Thy presence, round our camp of rock outspread;For the stern defiles of battle, bearing record of our dead;For the snows and for the torrents, for the free heart’s burial sod;For the strength of the hills, we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
6. For the shadow of Thy presence, round our camp of rock outspread;
For the stern defiles of battle, bearing record of our dead;
For the snows and for the torrents, for the free heart’s burial sod;
For the strength of the hills, we bless Thee, our God, our fathers’ God!
[330]Refˊ-uge, shelter, or protection from danger.[331]Beaˊ-con, a signal, or mark to give warning of danger.[332]Cavˊ-ern, a deep hollow place in the earth.[333]Pinˊ-ions, wings.[334]Quarˊ-ry, the game which a hawk or an eagle is pursuing, or has killed.
[330]Refˊ-uge, shelter, or protection from danger.
[330]Refˊ-uge, shelter, or protection from danger.
[331]Beaˊ-con, a signal, or mark to give warning of danger.
[331]Beaˊ-con, a signal, or mark to give warning of danger.
[332]Cavˊ-ern, a deep hollow place in the earth.
[332]Cavˊ-ern, a deep hollow place in the earth.
[333]Pinˊ-ions, wings.
[333]Pinˊ-ions, wings.
[334]Quarˊ-ry, the game which a hawk or an eagle is pursuing, or has killed.
[334]Quarˊ-ry, the game which a hawk or an eagle is pursuing, or has killed.