"Washington Hymn" (1875)
Words by
Xaver Riedl
Composed for the
Centennial Celebration
by
William H. Pommer

Published by the Author
by H. BOLLMAN, St. Louis. [MO]
[Source: 1875-12434@LoC]

1. George Washington, heroic man,
Redeemer of a rising world,
Whom God, in sport of tyrant’s ban,
Upon this continent hath hurr’d.
With soul as pure as peak of snow,
Our great ecample still art thou,
Who standest, beacon of the brave
Where proud, where proud, where proud— 

CHORUS 1­-4.
The holy starry banners wave.

2. Our thoughts shall ever turn to thee,
As thine did once to all thy race,
When Freedom, purer grown thro’ thee
Reveal’d the beauty of her fave.
That light from heaven’s blessed shore
Shall dwell with us forever more—
Forever more shall shine and save,
Where pure, where pure, where pure—

3. Thy lofty spirit never drew
Th’accursed breath of selfish ways,
And so thine actions far outgrew
The deeds of men of other days.
And we preserve, at thy behest,
A home for all that are opprest,
We wait not till they come to crave,
Where proud, where proud, where proud—

4. In early youth a man’s, thy heart
Beat for the land that gave thee birth:
While others play’d their childish part,
Thou bear’st the burden of the earth
And so we lay, as thou doest thine,
Our pow’rs on Freedom’s holy shrine,
And on our hearts they words engrave
Where high, where high, where high—

5. Thou brok’st the foeman’s naughty mood,
By manly sacrifice of self,
Nor ever shed thy people’s blood
For sake of glory or of pelf.
So we, like thee, shall choose the right
To follow in the hour of fight,
When foeman claim us for their slaves
Where strong, where strong, where strong—

CHORUS 5-­6.
The holy starry banner waves.

6. And thou was strong in conscious worth,
And strong thro’ faith in God thy soul.
“With God,” in deeds o’er all the earth,
Thy motto rolls from pole to pole.
And so, whatever we attain,
This word our motto shall remain,
So long as sea Columbia laves,
Where high, where high, where high—

7. And thou hast rear’d the lofty done—
A monument to all the world—
And giv’n to Liberty a home.
Her flag shall never more be furl’d!
Secure that dome shall ever stand
From forward and from impious hand.
For this eternity we crave,
Where Thou, O God, a hundred years,

CHORUS 7.
Hast seen the starry banners wave.