Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare, Gentle and merciful and just! Who, in the fear of God, didst bear The sword of power, a nation's trust! In sorrow by thy bier we stand, Amid the awe that hushes all, And speak the anguish of a land That shook with horror at thy fall. Thy task is done; the bond are free: We bear thee to an honored grave, Whose proudest monument shall be The broken fetters of the slave. Pure was thy life; its bloody close Hath placed thee with the sons of light, Among the noble host of those Who perished in the cause of Right.
The Song of America
Cantata by Roy Ringwald (b. 1910)
?.  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
Text Authorship:
- by William Cullen Bryant (1794 - 1878), "The Death of Lincoln", from Poems, first published 1871
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]Total word count: 109