Fair fatherland, do not forget,

The children of his bower!
He, poor as is the rosebush, yet
Gave gladness till death's hour—
With failure's smart

Let not depart

From this thy soil so glad a heart,–
His garden, let it flower!

SONG

SONG brings us light with the power of lending
Glory to brighten the work that we find;
Song brings us warmth with the power of rending
Rigor and frost in the swift-melting mind.

Song is eternal with power of blending

Time that is gone and to come in the soul, Fills it with yearnings that flow without ending, Seeking that sea where the light-surges roll.

Song brings us union, while gently beguiling
Discord and doubt on its radiant way;
Song brings us union and leads, reconciling
Battle-glad passions by harmony's sway,
Unto the beautiful, valiant, and holy!

-Some can pass over its long bridge of light Higher and higher to visions that solely

Faith can reveal to the spirit's pure sight.

Songs from the past of the past's longings telling,
Pensive and sad cast a sunset's red glow;
Present time's longings in sweet music dwelling,
Grateful the soul of the future shall know.
Youth of all ages in song here are meeting,
Sounding in tone and in word their desire;
- More than we think, from the dead bringing
greeting,

Gather to-night in our festival choir.

ON THE DEATH OF N. F. S. GRUNDTVIG

(1872)

E'EN as the Sibyl in Northland-dawn drew

Forth from the myth-billows gliding,

Told all the past, all the future so true,
Sank with the lands' last subsiding,—
Prophecies leaving, eternally new,
Still abiding:

Thus goes his spirit the Northland before,—
Though, that he sank, we have tiding,-
Visions unfolding like sun-clouds, when o'er
Sea-circled lands they are riding,

Northern lands' future, till time is no more,
Ever guiding.

FROM THE CANTATA FOR

N. F. S. GRUNDTVIG

(1872)

HIS day was the greatest the Northland has seen,
It one was with the midnight-sun's wonders serene:
The light wherein he sat was the light of God's true peace,
And that has never morning, nor night when it must cease.

In light of God's peace shone the history he gave,
The spirit's course on earth that shall conquer the grave.
In light of God's pure peace thus our fathers' mighty way
Before us for example and warning open lay.

In light of God's peace he beheld with watchful eye
The people at their work and the spirit's strivings high.
In light of God's pure peace he would have all learning
glow,

And where his word is honored the "Folk-High-Schools" must grow.

In light of God's peace stood 'mid sorrow and care
For Denmark's folk his comfort, a castle strong and fair;
In light of God's pure peace there shall once again be won
And thousand-fold increased, what seems lost now and
undone.

In light of God's peace stands his patriarch-worth,
The sum and the amen of a manful life on earth.

In light of God's pure peace how his face shone, lifted up, When white-haired at the altar he held th' atoning cup.

In light of God's peace came his word o'er the wave, In light of God's pure peace sound the sweet psalms he gave.

In light of God's pure peace, as its sunbeam curtains fall To hide him from us, stands now his memory for all.

AT A BANQUET FOR
PROFESSOR LUDV. KR. DAA
YOUTHFUL friends here a circle form,
Elder foes now surrender.
Feel among us in safety, warm,
Toward you our hearts are tender.
Once again on a hard-fought day
Hero-like you have led the way,

Smiting all that before you stood;-
But now be good!

With no hubbub, without champagne,
Dress-suit, and party-collar,

We would honor o'er viands plain

Grateful our "grand old scholar"!

When all quiet are wind and wave,
Seldom we see this pilot brave;

When storm-surges our ship might whelm,
He takes the helm!

-Takes the helm and through thick and thin (Clear are his old eyes burning),

Steers the course with his trusty "grin,"

Straight, where the others are turning!
Thanks gave to him I know not who,
For he scolded the skipper, too!-
Back he went to his home right soon:
We had the boon.

He has felt what it is to go

Hated, till truth gains the battle; He has felt what it is to know

Blows that from both sides rattle.

He has felt what the cost is, so

Forward the present its path to show:

He, whose strength had such heights attained,

Stood all disdained.

Would that Norway soon grew so great

That it with justice rewarded
Heroes who its true weal create,

Who are no laggards sordid.
Shall we always so slowly crawl,
Split forever in factions small,
Idly counting each ill that ails?—
No! Set the sails!

Set the sails for the larger life,

Whereto our nation has power!