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Carmen Triumphans
[Verses in Honour of the Freethought Congress to be held in Rome in September, 1904.]
Published in the Agnostic Journal London, England 13 August 1904 (page 102)
Seven-hill'd Rome has reigned; to-morrow Truth Shall flaunt her pennons from a thousand hills! And we, the heirs of Science, strong in youth, With steadfast eye, and heart that gladly thrills, Acclaim the dawning light that slowly fills The world with wonder. As the daylight grows Our shout is raised, then suddenly it stills Its thunder, for the first faint tint of rose Brings heart-ease to the world, in promise of repose!
Yesterday Rome! To-morrow's sun shall rise Upon a world transformed from Night to Day; We rise to greet the sunshine, and our eyes Are shaded from the glory far away. Our herald tongues, entranced, give forth a lay Of Spring and green and bursting buds—a world Sweet with the songs of birds, and fragrant hay From waving fields to strong-drawn waggons hurled— A vision of the New, the Banner wide unfurled.
Yesterday Rome, where Bruno's ashes gave A fragrance that remains to this wide morn. Mind-free, he died to spurn the name of slave, Leaving his heritage to men unborn. To-day we laugh the pious priests to scorn; To-day the doctrines of old Rome are dead To all the noblest! The pale Christ forsworn Has given to men a stronger hardihead; Godless, the world by Men shall still be onward led!
Yesterday Rome! To-day the dawn of Truth Scorches her banners, and her towers nigh fall At the glad cry of Day and Strength and Youth— A world emancipate—a clarion call From out of the depths. And now, to Love's wide hall Troop men and women freed; with eyes aglow They watch the sunrise by the outer wall, Where swift the living waters ebb and flow— Where melts the rising sun Religion's chilling snow.
Yesterday Rome! To-morrow Truth shall reign! Yesterday gods! To-morrow, in their stead, Humanity shall guard the sacred Fane— The Trinity: Love, Life, Hope. The gods are dead. From out of the darkened past the dawning red Flushes the world anew; the Day shall be The promise fulfilled, that every age has fed With heroes blood—the promise of the Free, Rising beyond the hills—THE NEW HUMANITY.
O for the Dawn beyond the Seven Hills, That shews their darkness in the world's fierce Day! The heart of Man now half-unconscious thrills With growing sense of Dawn, and turns away From all the idols with the feet of clay Set up by Rome, for the new Dawn doth bring The promise of Love—of Live that makes no stay, But, ever-renewed, brings echoes from the Spring, And, mindful of the earth, takes ever upward wing.
Yesterday Rome! To-morrow Truth! A song Resounds throughout the earth, as widely blows The breeze of Dawn Rome's darkened ways along, Bringing the scent of hawthorn and of rose, Of Winter mirth, of frozen lakes and snows, Of Autumn forests, and of Summer trees Shading the meadows—of a Life that glows With Human love—of Human hearts at ease. And who shall stay the dawn, and who shall still the breeze?
Flash out, O Sun, widely upon the Morn! Let our wild shouts be echoed in the wide! Let priests and gods be scorched in the world's scorn, Or sink, all useless, in the flowing tide! To-morrow! Ah, to-morrow we will ride Adown the path of Life, to eager fling Laurels to dreamers of the Dawn, who died To give us this new Life, this nobler Spring. Forward, in joy, we ride; the REIGN OF MAN we sing!
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