| |
| WHERE through entangling bays | |
| Wanders the Southern Sea | |
| The Goddess stayed to gaze, | |
| Her eyes a mystery. | |
| With toil of hands unfree | 5 |
| She saw the land astir: | |
| The mockers laughed at her. | |
| |
| ‘What does fair Freedom here? | |
| Is it the chain,’ they said, | |
| ‘Whose clank can please her ear? | 10 |
| Where the swung lash drips red, | |
| Hopes she unstained to tread | |
| Among these wretched ones?’ | |
| She said: ‘I seek my sons. | |
| |
| ‘Even of these stones I raise | 15 |
| Children to liberty. | |
| Yea, after many days | |
| These that are bond shall be | |
| Freer than you, the free. | |
| Their blood, their sin, their groans | 20 |
| Are but mine altar stones.’ | |
| |
| ‘Can aught of good,’ they said, | |
| ‘Come out of Nazareth?’ | |
| Answered the goddess dread, | |
| ‘While any man draws breath | 25 |
| His free soul knows not death; | |
| Through all disgrace and shame | |
| His heart repeats my name. | |
| |
| ‘Because they have known no good— | |
| Because they have said: “We die | 30 |
| Unloved, a multitude | |
| Forespent with misery, | |
| As beasts die”—therefore I, | |
| Freedom, that am divine, | |
| Will take their land for mine: | 35 |
| |
| ‘Because they are cast aside, | |
| Despised, and desolate, | |
| Their labours shall abide, | |
| Their sons shall make a State: | |
| I, that take toll of Fate, | 40 |
| Among their later race | |
| Will set my dwelling-place. | |
| |
| ‘Mine is this continent, | |
| Wherethrough my sons shall go. | |
| Your world, by factions rent, | 45 |
| Shall watch this new world grow | |
| From palms to southern snow, | |
| From east to western sea, | |
| One nation—mine for me!’ | |
| |
