The Riverside song book/Ode for Washington's Birthday
ODE FOR WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY.
Oliver Wendell Holmes. Ludwig van Beethoven.
(From the Ninth or Choral Symphony.)
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1. Wel-come to the day re - turn-ing, Dear - er still as a - ges flow,
2. Hear the tale of youthful glo - ry, While of Brit-ain's res-cued band,
3. Look ! the shad-ow on the di - al, Marks the hour of deadlier strife;
4. Vain is Em-pire's mad temp-ta - tion! Not for him an earthly crown!
5. "By the name that you in - her-it. By the suf- f'rings you re-call,
6. Fa - ther! we whose ears have tin- gled With the dis- cord notes of shame,—
While the torch of faith is burn - ing, Long as free-dom's al- tars glow!
Friend and foe re - peat the sto - ry, Spread his fame o'er sea and land,
Days of ter - ror, years of tri - al. Scourge a na - tion in - to life.
He whose sword has freed a na - tion! Strikes the of - f ered sceptre down,
Cher -ish the fra ter -nal spir-it; Love your coun-try first of all!
We, whose sires their blood have mingled In the bat - tle's thunder flame,—
See the he - ro whom it gave us Slumb'ring on a mother's breast,
Where the red cross fond-ly streaming, Flaps a - bove the frig-ate's deck,
Lo, the youth, be - come her lead - er! All her baf - fled ty - rants yield;
See the throne-less conqueror seat - ed, Rul - er by a peo- ple's choice;
List - en not to i - dle questions If its bands may be un - tied;
Gath -'ring while this ho - ly morn-ing Lights the land from sea to sea,
For the arm he stetched to save us, Be its morn for - ev - er blest.
Where the gold-en lil - ies, gleam-ing, Star the watchtow'rs of Que-bec.
Through his arm the Lord hath freed her; Crown him on the tent-ed field!
See the Pa - triot's task com-plet - ed; Hear the Fa- ther's dy - ing voice!
Doubt the pa - triot whose sug-ges-tions Strive a na - tion to di-vide!"
Hear thy coun-sel, heed thy warn-ing; Trust us, while we hon-or thee!