TIME, the Dawn of the Day. –SCENE, Cape Mastic, in Scio.
HAIL ! once again, great fount of life, and light,
Hail, holy symbol of a holier source!
Thou shinest forth unalterably bright,
Thou risest still to run thy destin’d course;
Alone in beauty–all around is changed–
No turrets brighten in thy kindling ray;
The vale o’er which our eyes delighted ranged,
No longer gaily hails the Lord of day.
Tho’ carnage taint the citron’s vernal breath,
He shines on Scio, now a nation’s grave,
Whose latest harvest was a crop of death,
When Moslem sabres mowed her young and brave.
In vain spring clothes the mastic’s fragrant bough,
Dances no more will sweep those orange bowers–
Brave youths, and beauteous maids, where are ye now?
These in the grave, and those in Stambol’s towers.
Yon radiant sun, this green and bursting spring,
Make us more deeply feel our country’s woe–
Oh! may their Great Creator deign to bring
Help to his flock, and lay the oppressor low.
We murmur not–if ’tis thy will to chasten,
Grant us but strength to bear a parent’s rod–
If we have borne sufficient sorrow, hasten
To whelm our foes and thine, Almighty God!
SEMICHORUS.
Hark! the Turkish thunders roar
Down the Anatolian shore,
From a hundred brazen throats,
Where the Capoudana floats;
Gr
(Joanna Baillie)
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Based on Topics: God Poems, Life Poems, Light Poems, Sadness Poems, Time Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Spring Poems, Courage Poems, Dancing Poems, Parents PoemsBased on Keywords: shinest, risest, moslem, unalterably, scio, not-if, beauty-all, semichorus, mastic