The Themes of Song

Where shall the minstrel find a theme?
--Where’er, for freedom shed,
Brave blood hath dyed some ancient stream,
Amidst the mountains, red.

Where’er a rock, a fount, a grove,
Bears record to the faith
Of love--deep, holy, fervent love,
Victor o’er fear and death.

Where’er a chieftain’s crested brow
Too soon hath been struck down,
Or a bright virgin head laid low,
Wearing its youth’s first crown.

Where’er a spire points up to heaven,
Through storm and summer air,
Telling, that all around have striven
Man’s heart, and hope, and prayer.

Where’er a blessed home hath been,
That now is home no more:
A place of ivy, darkly green,
Where laughter’s light is o’er.

Where’er by some forsaken grave,
Some nameless greensward heap,
A bird may sing, a wild-flower wave,
A star its vigil keep.

Or where a yearning heart of old,
A dream of shepherd men,
With forms of more than earthly mould
Hath peopled grot or glen.

There may the bard’s high themes be found--
We die, we pass away;
But faith, love, pity--these are bound
To earth without decay.

The heart that burns, the cheek that glows,
The tear from hidden springs,
The thorn and glory of the rose--
These are undying things.

Wave after wave of mighty stream
To the deep sea hath gone:
Yet not the less, like youth’s bright dream,
The exhaustless flood rolls on.