BETA

The Emigrant’s Farewell.

AirFarewell, thou fair day.

Farewell, thou poor land of the coward and slave,1
Where millions still fettered will be ;2
Where justice sits waiting by liberty’s grave3
Farewell to thy bondage and thee !4
Poor land, where the many in in misery feel5
O’er-tortured by toiling and care6
Where man to his brother forever must kneel7
Pale victim of fear and despair !8
Thou dark home of sorrow, where tyranny’s will9
Alone is thy law and thy right ;10
Where, pining in poverty, labour is still11
Uncheered by fair liberty’s light !12
Where blasphemy kneels at an altar of gold13
And Deity’s mocked with display ;14
Where basely the rights of a people are sold15
Where priests plunder more than they pray !16
No more to-poor labour is happiness known17
Repaid but with insult and chains ;18
And plenty and peace from the cottage is gone,19
And wretchedness only remains !20
The pale mother weeps by her famishing child21
As sadly for nurture it cries ;22
With starving and toiling all haggard and wild ;23
The father no plenty supplies !24
And millions must toil that a few may be fed :25
The many though starving must till26
Though thousands bewailing and dying for bread,27
The idle still revel at will !28
Farewell then, poor land of the coward and slave,29
I haste me where man dared be free ;30
Where freedom soon gave to thy despots a grave31
Farewell to thy bondage and thee !32