Classic Poem

Day-star of Liberty! dawn on our sky;
Day-star of Liberty! kindle thy light;
Dawn on the plains where the Polanders lie
Slumbering in slavery, buried in night.

Day-star of Liberty! bright are thy rays;
Day-star of Liberty! clear is thy beam:
Dawn on our hills with thy ruddiest blaze,
Shine through the forest and brighten the stream.

Wake from his slumber the high-hearted Pole,
Point him to freedom, and summon him on;
Spirit him up in his vengeance to roll
Backward the Russ and the Cossack of Don.

Shine on the tombs where our heroes are laid, —
Heroes, who died for their country, and hurled
Solyman's legions in crowds to the dead, —
Heroes, who rescued from Mahmoud the world.

Hark! Sobieski has called from his tomb:
" Think of our glory, — no longer be slaves;
Summon the merciless Russ to their doom, —
O let the fields they have robbed be their graves! "

Poles, will you sleep when your demigod calls?
Poles, will you bend to the yoke of the Czar?
Think of Suwarrow, — of Prague's mouldering walls;
Raise freedom's flag, sound the trumpet of war.

Vengeance! to arms! Sobieski! the word;
Vengeance! to arms! on, ye Polanders, on!
Hurl from your plains, with the might of your sword,
Backward the Russ and the Cossack of Don.