Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.

Song: ‘O, haste, ye youthful warriors, fly’

O, HASTE, ye youthful warriors, fly

To seek the invaded shore;

How warms each heart! how fires each eye!

As loud the cannons roar;

They land, the hostile legions;

Destruction marks their way;

But we go to meet the foe,

Let victory crown the day.

Remember days that made us free,

Let victory crown the day.

When Britain meets us on the wave,

Our flag triumphant flies;

Her ships soon find an ocean grave;

Our fame salutes the skies;

No doubtful foreign foe is there

To fall an easy prey;

On the wave, we are brave,

And victory crowns the day.

So Lawrence triumph’d o’er the foe!

Let victory crown the day.

Then, warriors on shore, be brave,

Your wives and homes defend;

Those precious boons be true to save,

And hearts and sinews bend.

O, think upon your fathers’ fame;

For glory marked their way;

And this foe aimed the blow,

But victory crown’d the day.

Then emulate those deeds of yore,

Let victory crown the day.

See! see! their sacred warlike forms!

Ye visions glad our sight!

Bending from midst surrounding storms

They view us in the fight.

Then, comrades, let us never yield

Or stain this brilliant day;

Let us die be the cry

So victory crowns the day.

Think on our ocean warriors’ fame;

Let victory crown the day.

They fall! they fly! they seek the wave

That wafts them from the shore—

Haste—pursue—let nothing save;

Quick let the cannons roar.

Now from the battle’s rage return’d,

Wives and children throng the way;

And with smiles for our toils,

Hail victory’s happy day,

While songs of joy and mirth resound

For victory’s glorious day.