History & Politics
Toast for the Men of Eidsvold
Translated by Arthur Hubbell Palmer (1915) · From Poems and Songs (1870; Palmer 1915)
'Twas then this land of ours we drew
From centuries of ice and sorrow,
And let it of the sun's warmth borrow,
And law and plow brought order new;
We dug the wealth in mountain treasured,
Our stately ships the oceans measured,
And springtime thoughts were free to run
As round the Pole the midnight sun.
And still with God we'll conquer, hold:
Each plot reclaimed for harvest-reaping,
Each ship our sea takes to its keeping,
Each child-soul we to manhood mold,
Each spark of thought our life illuming,
Each deed to fruit of increase blooming,--
A province adds unto our land
And o'er our freedom guard shall stand.
Cite this poem
MLA
Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne. “Toast for the Men of Eidsvold.” Translated by Arthur Hubbell Palmer. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bjornson/52/.
Chicago
Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne. “Toast for the Men of Eidsvold.” Translated by Arthur Hubbell Palmer. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bjornson/52/.
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