Henry O'Meara Ballads of America

ODE TO OUR NAVAL HEROES

WRITTEN AT THE INVITATION OF THE CITY OF BOSTON, AND
SUNG AT THE ADMIRAL PORTER MEMORIAL
SERVICE, MAY 14, 1891

O VICTORS of war and of wave -
   Themes that live in loved vision to-day -
Our song rings of valor and life-drops you gave,
   Our pæans in glory repay;
    Again with array of their pride,
     Your Argosies burst on our view,
    To tower above Treason and foes of the Tide,
     To blaze for a Nation anew!

Not with navies in grim palisade,
   Nor hordes in Armadas hurled,
But with armor of Freedom firm guard is made,
   From our gateways, to ward off a world;
    In War's chafings of sea and of strand
     Your Knighthood our honor shall keep;
    In their challenge of wrath and of strife to our Land,
     The brave duel shall dare on the deep.

Your Record to time shall not yield,
   Bright emblazoned on river and main,
With those deeds for the flag shown on deck and on field,
   That defied aught of rending or stain.
    As great billows now swell, - now are gone, -
     Pealing long on their reach to the shore,
    Your life-forms recede, but your fame surges on,
     And in memory resounds evermore.

O Land fused in Liberty's fire,
  Whose heroes are lit in thy flame,
Our thought with the pulsing their heart-throbs inspire,
  Is kindled in chanting thy name;
    Our tributes aglow to each son,
     With a soul that burned filial and free -
    For the triumphs he wrought, for the trophies' he won -
     Are rolled up in praise sung to thee!

THE WAR SONG	CONTENTS	TITLE PAGE

Henry O'Meara Ballads of America

ODE TO OUR NAVAL HEROES

WRITTEN AT THE INVITATION OF THE CITY OF BOSTON, AND SUNG AT THE ADMIRAL PORTER MEMORIAL SERVICE, MAY 14, 1891

Edited and formatted by Sheldon Brown

WRITTEN AT THE INVITATION OF THE CITY OF BOSTON, AND
SUNG AT THE ADMIRAL PORTER MEMORIAL
SERVICE, MAY 14, 1891