Gold

We rovers bold,

  To the land of Gold,

Over the bowling billows are gliding:

  Eager to toil,

  For the golden spoil,

And every hardship biding.

  See! See!

Before our prows' resistless dashes

The gold-fish fly in golden flashes!

  'Neath a sun of gold,

  We rovers bold,

On the golden land are gaining;

  And every night,

  We steer aright,

By golden stars unwaning!

All fires burn a golden glare:

No locks so bright as golden hair!

  All orange groves have golden gushings;

  All mornings dawn with golden flushings!

In a shower of gold, say fables old,

A maiden was won by the god of gold!

  In golden goblets wine is beaming:

  On golden couches kings are dreaming!

  The Golden Rule dries many tears!

  The Golden Number rules the spheres!

Gold, gold it is, that sways the nations:

Gold! gold! the center of all rotations!

  On golden axles worlds are turning:

  With phosphorescence seas are burning!

  All fire-flies flame with golden gleamings!

  Gold-hunters' hearts with golden dreamings!

  With golden arrows kings are slain:

  With gold we'll buy a freeman's name!

In toilsome trades, for scanty earnings,

At home we've slaved, with stifled yearnings:

No light! no hope! Oh, heavy woe!

When nights fled fast, and days dragged slow.

    But joyful now, with eager eye,

    Fast to the Promised Land we fly:

      Where in deep mines,

      The treasure shines;

    Or down in beds of golden streams,

    The gold-flakes glance in golden gleams!

      How we long to sift,

      That yellow drift!

    Rivers! Rivers! cease your goings!

      Sand-bars! rise, and stay the tide!

      'Till we've gained the golden flowing;

      And in the golden haven ride!