Robed in thy raiment of splendor, Thy trappings of purple and gold; Brighter than vision of dreamland, Thou lightenest mountain and wold. Streameth thy rays o'er the woodland; And the green of the sombre pine, And the crimson of the maple leaf Are wreathed in a lustre divine. Clothed is fair earth of thy fulness; Enriched is the bloom of the flower; From verdant to radiant beauty Thou shadest the gay trellised bower. Thy smile doth paint the yellow corn; Thou sing'st in rustle of the sheaves; Thy symphonies of praise ascend In twitter of the orchard leaves. Calm, mellow skies look kindly down On tree-clad hill, on fruitful vale; Whilst mariners, on far-off seas, Hoist canvas to the homeward gale. Thy generous hand doth fill the cup With choice reward for labor's crown; Thy teeming fields revoice that hope Which blancheth not 'neath Winter's frown. For though earth's life-sustaining store Be gathered from her bounteous breast; Though leafage falls on bare, brown floor, Though nature lieth long at rest, And, after Summer's round of cheer, Again shall Autumn lays peal forth; Again shall mercy crown the year. |