by William Cullen Bryant (1794 - 1878)
Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare
Language: English
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.
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Text Authorship:
- by William Cullen Bryant (1794 - 1878), "The Death of Lincoln", from Poems, first published 1871 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jennifer Higdon (b. 1960), "The Death of Lincoln", first performed 2015 [ baritone and piano ], from Civil Words, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Roy Ringwald (b. 1910), "Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare", published 1951 [ SATB chorus, narrator, piano four-hands ], from cantata The Song of America [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-03-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 109