My Dearest, Lovely, Native Land

My dear­est

love­ly

na­tive land

Where peace and plea­sure grow

Where joy with fair­est

soft­est hand

Wipes off the tears of woe—

Thy Sab­baths

laws

and hap­py shores

And names

I love them well

And look­ing o’er those rich­est stores

How can I say

Fare­well!

O sac­red home

how sweet thou art

And all thy scenes how dear!

Thou dost with chords en­twine my heart

And seem’st to say

Stay here!

Thou al­ways didst an an­gel prove

My youth­ful fears to quell

Thou still art clad with smiles of love

And can I say

Fare­well!

My par­ents

bro­thers

sis­ters

friends

My warm af­fect­ion know

And love from each my path at­tends

And can I from them go?

The thoughts of days that now are past

No pen or tongue can tell;

Though to my heart they cling so fast

Yet I must say

Fare­well!

No sighs of grief my bo­som heave

No tears of ang­uish roll:

My friends

my all

I glad­ly leave

For Je­sus cheers my soul.

Ye winds

then waft me far away

The tale of love to tell;

To coun­try

home

and friends I say

Farewell

O! yes

fare­well!