42 April
The Song Our Fathers Sang
By SAL VAPOR. P. LOPEZ
I.
HERE’S something in our hearts that keeps repeating A song first fashioned when our race was young, And ever does our pulse keep beating, beating To music by bur ancient fathers sung.
The notes are golden and the words of steef, They sing of duty and they tell of pride, And ever as we hear thepi do we feel The age-old yearning that has never died.
Centuried passion, immemorial dream!
Dream of oyr fathers and our heart’s desire!
Well do we know what ordeal must redeem The hope at last: sword, bullet, rope apd pyre.
Softly we listen: there the music goes.
Rising and falling like the tide that flows.
II.
Your freedom, so they tell us, will riot be A gift upon a silver platter brought For your enjoyment; 'tig a guerdon, free To those alone that seek it, to be fought
For and pursued with bone and blood and brawn;
No bird shall light upon your window singing The song of liberty one sudden dawn,
The song be yours to fashion bold and 'ringing Our answer? Deeds shall speak not words, they say.
The song is in our hearts and we have spoken The speech of deeds forever and a day;
Heedless of grief and pain, with will unbroken We’ve fought a thousand battles grim and dire—
And so we give you: speech of blood and fire.
