Persia

Land of ori­ent­al splen­dor

Worshiping the sun and flame

Trusting blind­ly to the Ko­ran

Learn to love the Sav­ior’s name.

Reject pan­the­is­tic teach­ings!

From Ma­ho­met turn away!

What re­sults arise from sun-praise?

Learn to love the heav­en­ly rays.

That alone can give souls cleans­ing

That alone can make souls light

Learn of Je­sus and His wor­ship

And the on­ly path of right.

Ancient most of all the em­pires

Of which his­to­ry doth tell;

Cyrus’ home

and Ar­ta­xer­xes’

Whom their fol­low­ers served so well.

Land that held the cap­tive Jew­ess—

Esther

loved and love­ly queen;

Home of King Aha­shue­rus;

Clime of won­drous far Bah­rein.

We are moved to speak thy prais­es

We would recog­nize the aid

Thy brave daugh­ters ev­er have

To our mis­sion­ar­ies paid.

Persia’s daugh­ters toil for Per­sia

With the heart’s best

warm­est love

Pointing souls in dar­kness

wan­der­ing

To the sun­lit home ab­ove.

May she set the bright ex­am­ple

Till all coun­tries fol­low suit—

China’s daugh­ters toil for Chi­na;

Then the work will bear much fruit.

When the dark-eyed hea­then maid­en

Of the Asi­at­ic sea

And when Af­ric’s sons and daug­hters

Give their days to teach of Thee.

Persia! land of unique beau­ty!

Lovelier tex­tures ne’er were seen

Than are wov­en by thy skilled ones

Out of wool and silk­en sheen.

Persia

we have sent as­sist­ance

And we send as­sist­ance still;

For God al­ways doub­ly helps those

Who but help them­selves with will.