Lord who at the birth of ages,
E'er the oldest records show,
Alpha of historic pages,
Hadst received baptismal dew.
Aye! and from each mighty battle
That since time was had been fought,
Thou hast heard death dealing rattle
Echoing round Thy peaceful fort;
Felt the universal waters
Tremble in maternity,
As the mightiest of Earth's daughters
Rose from out the quiv'ring sea.
Saw the pride of ancient nations
Peerless in impellent sway,
'Neath the tide of times vastations
Roll to ruin and decay.
And the tide evolvent trending
Toward the close of Christless pule,
Saw th' empired seers blending
Old world dreams with southern Thule.
When all nature sang Te Deum,
'Neath the soft Tempean ray,
Of the star of glad Bethlehem,
Lo! to Thee as yesterday.
And then sawest o'er old Judea
Cloud palls of the deepest gloom,
When the sun enshrank with fear
As they laid him in the tomb.
Aye! and ere the prophets humbled
Had foretold his natal day,
Giant rocks to dust had crumbled
On thy crag heads old and grey.
Insulated 'neath th' Equator
Through long years of gorgeous rest,
Known to none but the Creator,
First land of His love, and best.
Placed in thy wayless hiding,
Owned by none with none to sway,
'Neath the Southern Cross abiding
Until only yesterday.
When that glorious April morning,
Herald of a golden day,
Saw a ship at hist'ry's dawning
Glide across thy peaceful bay.
Heard the echoes hail " The Endeavour, "
With its sturdy sea worn band,
Who with joyous hearts aquiver,
Neared and touched th' enchanted Land.
Gayed up in its peerless beauty,
Drank its vivifying calm,
'Til the spirit warm with duty,
Yielded to th' all-healing charm.
And they spent Elysian hours
On thy warm salubrious sand,
'Mid the gorgeous birds and flowers
Of an Eastern Beulah land.