Читать книгу The Anti-slavery Harp: A Collection of Songs for Anti-slavery Meetings - William Wells Brown - Страница 6

Table of Contents

Air—Marseilles Hymn.

Ye sons of freemen, wake to sadness,

Hark! hark! what myriads bid you rise;

Three millions of our race in madness

Break out in wails, in bitter cries,

Break out in wails, in bitter cries;

Must men whose hearts now bleed with anguish,

Yes, trembling slaves in freedom’s land,

Endure the lash, nor raise a hand?

Must nature ’neath the whip-cord languish?

Have pity on the slave,

Take courage from God’s word;

Pray on, pray on, all hearts resolved—these captives shall be free.

The fearful storm—it threatens lowering,

Which God in mercy long delays;

Slaves yet may see their masters cowering,

While whole plantations smoke and blaze!

While whole plantations smoke and blaze;

And we may now prevent the ruin,

Ere lawless force with guilty stride

Shall scatter vengeance far and wide—

With untold crimes their hands imbruing.

Have pity on the slave;

Take courage from God’s word;

Pray on, pray on, all hearts resolved—these captives shall be free.

With luxury and wealth surrounded,[7]

The southern masters proudly dare,

With thirst of gold and power unbounded,

To mete and vend God’s light and air!

To mete and vend God’s light and air;

Like beasts of burden, slaves are loaded,

Till life’s poor toilsome day is o’er;

While they in vain for right implore;

And shall they longer still be goaded?

Have pity on the slave;

Take courage from God’s word;

Toil on, toil on, all hearts resolved—these captives shall be free.

O Liberty! can man e’er bind thee?

Can overseers quench thy flame?

Can dungeons, bolts, or bars confine thee,

Or threats thy Heaven-born spirit tame?

Or threats thy Heaven-born spirit tame;

Too long the slave has groaned, bewailing

The power these heartless tyrants wield;

Yet free them not by sword or shield,

For with men’s hearts they’re unavailing;

Have pity on the slave;

Take courage from God’s word;

Toil on! toil on! all hearts resolved—these captives shall be free!