For the shells in many a sheltered cove
And the sunbeams on the beach;
And another ocean spreads
Her waste behind, before,
Where the stern cliffs lift their fog-veiled heads
And the wild waves laugh and roar.
And I, in my tossing boat,
Through the perilous waters, steer
And strive through the foggy air to note
Some sign of a haven near.
Hark! 'tis the syren's song!
Look! 'tis a hidden shoal!
Dense and dark are the mists that throng
To hide from my sight, my goal;
Many a wreck I've passed.
Lost! Lost! Shall I share their fate?
O, to be safe with my anchor cast
Inside of the Golden Gate!
Where the everlasting hills
All mansion-crowned, appear,
And no dense fog veils and no damp wind chills
The beautiful city, there;
But where in that haven-home
There are some who watch and wait
For each worn, storm-driven barque to come
In through the Golden Gate.
And the sunbeams on the beach;
And another ocean spreads
Her waste behind, before,
Where the stern cliffs lift their fog-veiled heads
And the wild waves laugh and roar.
And I, in my tossing boat,
Through the perilous waters, steer
And strive through the foggy air to note
Some sign of a haven near.
Hark! 'tis the syren's song!
Look! 'tis a hidden shoal!
Dense and dark are the mists that throng
To hide from my sight, my goal;
Many a wreck I've passed.
Lost! Lost! Shall I share their fate?
O, to be safe with my anchor cast
Inside of the Golden Gate!
Where the everlasting hills
All mansion-crowned, appear,
And no dense fog veils and no damp wind chills
The beautiful city, there;
But where in that haven-home
There are some who watch and wait
For each worn, storm-driven barque to come
In through the Golden Gate.
[ 48 ]
