Put up thy sword, O Nation, grand and strong! Call in thy fleet-winged missiles from the sea; Art thou not great enough to suffer wrong, Land of the brave, the freest of the free? Put up thy sword. 'Tis nobler to endure Than to avenge thee at another's cost; And while thy claim and purpose are made sure, Behold that other's life and honor lost. Put up thy sword. It hath not hushed the cry That called it all too rashly from its sheath; Still o'er the fated isle her children lie And find surcease from anguish but in death. Put up thy sword, O Country, strong and free, Let strife and avarice and oppression cease; So shall the world thy Star of Empire see Resplendent o'er the heaven-touched hills of Peace. |