---

Star of Columbia

Southern Harmony no. 260

First Line:	Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise
Composer:	Miss M. T. Durham
Source:	Dr. Dwight
Meter:	11s
Printable Page Scan:	[Gif 87k]   [Wide Gif 87k]

1. Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise,
   The queen of the world, and the child of the skies,
   Thy genius commands thee, with raptures behold,
   While ages on ages thy splendors unfold:
   Thy reign is the last and the noblest of time,
   Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime;
   Let crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name,
   Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame.

2. To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire,
   Whelm nations in blood, or wrap cities in fire;
   Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend,
   And triumph pursue them and glory attend.
   A world is thy realm, for a world be thy laws,
   Enlarged as thy empire, and just as thy cause;
   On freedom's broad basis that empire shall rise,
   Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies.

3. Fair science her gate to thy sons shall unbar,
   And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star;
   New bards and new sages unrivalled shall soar
   To fame unextinguished, when time is no more.
   To the last refuge of virtue designed,
   Shall fly from all nations, the best of mankind,
   There, grateful to heaven, with transport shall bring
   Their incense, more fragrant than odors of spring.

4. Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend,
   And genius and beauty in harmony blend;
   Their graces of form shall awake pure desire,
   And the charms of the soul still enliven the fire:
   Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refined,
   And virtue's bright image enstamped on the mind;
   With peace and sweet rapture shall teach life to glow
   And light up a smile in the aspect of woe.

5. Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display
   The nations admire, and the ocean obey;
   Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold,
   And the east and the south yield their spices and gold,
   As the day-spring unbounded thy splendors shall flow,
   And earth's little kingdoms before thee shall bow,
   While the ensigns of union in triumph unfurled,
   Hush anarchy's sway, and give peace to the world.

6. Thus down a lone valley with cedars o'erspread,
   From the noise of the town I pensively strayed,
   The bloom from the face of fair heaven retired,
   The wind ceased to murmur, the thunders expired
   Perfumes, as of Eden, flowed sweetly along,
   And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung,
   Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise,
   The queen of the world, and the child of the skies.
       

Contents