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| COLUMBIA, Columbia, to glory arise, | |
| The queen of the world, and the child of the skies! | |
| Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold, | |
| While ages on ages thy splendors unfold. | |
| Thy reign is the last and the noblest of time, | 5 |
| Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime; | |
| Let the crimes of the East ne’er encrimson thy name, | |
| Be freedom and science and virtue thy fame. | |
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| To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire; | |
| Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire; | 10 |
| 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 thine empire, and just as thy cause; | |
| On Freedom’s broad basis that empire shall rise, | 15 |
| Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies. | |
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| Fair Science her gates 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; | 20 |
| To thee, the last refuge of virtue designed, | |
| Shall fly from all nations the best of mankind; | |
| Here, grateful to Heaven, with transport shall bring | |
| Their incense, more fragrant than odors of spring. | |
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| Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend, | 25 |
| And genius and beauty in harmony blend; | |
| The graces of form shall awake pure desire, | |
| And the charms of the soul ever cherish the fire; | |
| Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refined, | |
| And virtue’s bright image, enstamped on the mind, | 30 |
| With peace and soft rapture shall teach life to glow, | |
| And light up a smile on the aspect of woe. | |
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| Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display, | |
| The nations admire, and the ocean obey; | |
| Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold, | 35 |
| And the East and the South yield their spices and gold. | |
| As the dayspring unbounded thy splendor shall flow, | |
| And earth’s little kingdoms before thee shall bow, | |
| While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurled, | |
| Hush the tumult of war, and give peace to the world. | 40 |
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| Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o’erspread, | |
| From war’s dread confusion, I pensively strayed,— | |
| The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired; | |
| The wind ceased to murmur, the thunders expired; | |
| Perfumes, as of Eden, flowed sweetly along, | 45 |
| And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung: | |
| “Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, | |
| The queen of the world, and the child of the skies!” | |
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