Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Asia: Vols. XXI–XXIII. 1876–79. | | | | Chinese Empire: Pekin | | In a Mountain Pass West of Pekin | | John T. Gulick (1832–1923) |
| | | WITHIN these granite gates, at God’s command, | |
| The oldest of the continents grows young | |
| With the verdure of ten thousand summers flung | |
| Across her rugged peaks. From Samarcand | |
| Down to the groves on Niphon’s sunny strand, | 5 |
| No richer veil of beauty ever hung | |
| On mountains built of primal rock. Though sung | |
| By Grecian bards, the glory of this land | |
| Would be too faintly shown. But now as light, | |
| All joyous from the heart of dewy night, | 10 |
| Pours down the hills and floods the meadow lawn, | |
| The wondrous revelation comes to those | |
| Who reverent wait beneath the opening dawn, | |
| As angels waited when creation rose. | | | | |
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