1 Through all the long dark night of years
The peop­le’s cry as­cende­th,
And earth is wet with blood and tears,
But our meek suf­fer­ance end­eth.
We are driv­en back, for our next fray,
A new­er strength to bor­row,
And where the van­guard camps to­day,
The rear shall rest to­mor­row.

2 Though hearts brood o’er the past, our eyes
With smiling futures glisten;
For lo, our day bursts up the skies—
Lean out your souls and listen!
The world is roll­ing free­dom’s way
And rip­en­ing with her sor­row.
Take heart! who bears the cross to­day
Shall wear the crown to­mor­row.

3 Build up he­ro­ic lives, and all
Be like a sheath­en saber,
Ready to flash out at God’s call,
O chiv­al­ry of la­bor!
Triumph and toil are twins, though they
Be sing­ly born in sor­row;
And ’tis the mar­tyr­dom to­day
Brings vic­to­ry to­mor­row.