[Editor: A poem by Michael Massey Robinson, published in The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, 6 June 1812.]
Ode
for
His Majesty’s Birth-Day, 1812.
By Michael Robinson, Esq.
WAKE the Lyre to Themes of GLORY,
Such as BARDS, in Classic Story,
Whilom sung on Isis’ Side —
Learning and the Muses’ Pride!
Strike the harp to plaintive Numbers,
Such as sweeten VIRTUE’S Slumbers,
Gay as Hope, with magic Measure,
Charms the rural Note to Pleasure,
When on ALBION’S waving Plains
Plenty cheers the smiling Swains;
When the Meed of martial Glory,
Crowns the war-worn Vet’ran’s Story,
And, the wearied Conflict o’er,
His Footsteps trace his native Shore:—
What Time the wand’ring Minstrel’s Strain
Invites to Sports the Village Train,
And the Sound of Wood-notes wild
Lulls the Close of Ev’ning mild:—
For, Oh! to Us ’tis giv’n, with grateful Lay
Again to hail Our MONARCH’S NATAL DAY!
And tho’ yon Cloud, with Frown severe,
Checks the fond Promise of the Year;
Tho’ anxious ALBION sorrowing sees
Her MONARCH droop to pale Disease, —
In whose invet’rate Train appears
The awful Scroll of number’d Years;
Years, Virtue stamp’d with sterling Truth,
From the first Dawn of op’ning Youth;—
Still shall the murky Gloom retire,
And Hope exalt the trembling Lyre,
Whilst fervent Pray’rs to HEAV’N’S high Throne ascend,
To spare the NATION’S PRIDE, the PEOPLE’S FRIEND!
Hark! from th’ Extreme of either Pole
The pealing Strains successive roll,
From Climes remote — from distant Shores,
Where Genius, nurs’d by Science, soars;
Where’ver polish’d Arts prevail,
Or Commerce spreads her welcome Sail
To Australasia’s rising Land,
First rear’d by HIS paternal HAND,
One gen’ral Wish the Lips impart,
One Sympathy cements each Heart:—
The solemn Pause, the Sigh sincere,
The soothing Hope, the thrilling Fear —
Presaging Doubts, that lingr’ng wait
The dark Vicissitudes of Fate:
All that can mark FIDELITY’S fond Zeal,
That patriot Virtue felt, or lives to feel!
And ye, whose prosper’d Years proclaim
The happiest Meed to GEORGE’S NAME;
On whom sweet MERCY, heav’n-born Child!
With Aspect gracious look’d and smil’d:—
Saw FATE suspend its awful Frown,
And HOPE the bright Perspective crown:—
Oh! be it yours the choral Note to raise,
And blend the Song of GRATITUDE with Praise!
RELIGION, from her hallow’d Fane,
Shall consecrate the pious Strain;
And Mem’ry’s faithful Tablet prove
The Record of a NATION’S LOVE!
TURN to your CHIEF, whose elevated Mind
Serves the best Interests of Human-kind:—
Whose bright Example, firm in VIRTUE’S Cause,
Bids TRUTH maintain, and JUSTICE guard the Laws.
His glowing Heart, at Mercy’s Pleadings mov’d,
Shares, as He yields the Boon to Worth approv’d; —
Wipes the big Drop from Sorrow’s glist’ning Eye,
And opens the blest Path to LIBERTY!
New South Wales, }
June 4th, 1812. }
Source:
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (Sydney, NSW), 6 June 1812, p. 4
Leave a Reply