| WHEN Freedom from her mountain height | |
| Unfurled her standard to the air, | |
| She tore the azure robe of night, | |
| And set the stars of glory there. | |
| She mingled with its gorgeous dyes | 5 |
| The milky baldric of the skies, | |
| And striped its pure celestial white | |
| With streakings of the morning light; | |
| Then from his mansion in the sun | |
| She called her eagle bearer down, | 10 |
| And gave into his mighty hand | |
| The symbol of her chosen land. | |
| |
| Majestic monarch of the cloud, | |
| Who rear'st aloft thy regal form, | |
| To hear the tempest trumpings loud | 15 |
| And see the lightning lances driven, | |
| When strive the warriors of the storm, | |
| And rolls the thunder-drum of heaven, | |
| Child of the sun! to thee 't is given | |
| To guard the banner of the free, | 20 |
| To hover in the sulphur smoke, | |
| To ward away the battle stroke, | |
| And bid its blendings shine afar, | |
| Like rainbows on the cloud of war, | |
| The harbingers of victory! | 25 |
| |
| Flag of the brave! thy folds shall fly, | |
| The sign of hope and triumph high, | |
| When speaks the signal trumpet tone, | |
| And the long line comes gleaming on. | |
| Ere yet the life-blood, warm and wet, | 30 |
| Has dimmed the glistening bayonet, | |
| Each soldier eye shall brightly turn | |
| To where thy sky-born glories burn, | |
| And, as his springing steps advance, | |
| Catch war and vengeance from the glance. | 35 |
| And when the cannon-mouthings loud | |
| Heave in wild wreaths the battle shroud, | |
| And gory sabres rise and fall | |
| Like shoots of flame on midnight's pall; | |
| Then shall thy meteor glances glow, | 40 |
| And cowering foes shall shrink beneath | |
| Each gallant arm that strikes below | |
| That lovely messenger of death. | |
| |
| Flag of the seas! on ocean wave | |
| Thy stars shall glitter o'er the brave; | 45 |
| When death, careering on the gale, | |
| Sweeps darkly round the bellied sail, | |
| And frighted waves rush wildly back | |
| Before the broadside's reeling rack, | |
| Each dying wanderer of the sea | 50 |
| Shall look at once to heaven and thee, | |
| And smile to see thy splendors fly | |
| In triumph o'er his closing eye. | |
| |
| Flag of the free heart's hope and home! | |
| By angel hands to valor given; | 55 |
| Thy stars have lit the welkin dome, | |
| And all thy hues were born in heaven. | |
| Forever float that standard sheet! | |
| Where breathes the foe but falls before us, | |
| With Freedom's soil beneath our feet, | 60 |
| And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us? | |
