Our Fathers Long Ago

When across the ocean wide

Where the heav­ing wa­ters flow

Came the May­flower o’er the tide

With our fa­thers long ago;

When they neared the rocky strand

And their chor­us rent the air

Children in that pil­grim band

Clasped their lit­tle hands in pray­er

Children in that pil­grim band

Clasped their lit­tle hands in pray­er.

Sweetly rang their ev­en­ing hymn

O’er that re­gion vast and wide

Through the for­est dark and dim

And the rock­ing pines re­plied.

’Twas a cold De­cem­ber night

And the earth was robed in snow

But the stars with mel­low light

Blest our fa­thers long ago

But the stars with mel­low light

Blest our fa­thers long ago.

When the ear­ly buds were seen

And the ro­bin’s song was heard

Children fro­licked on the green

Happy as the wood­land bird;

Culled the dai­sy young and fair

Watched the brook­let’s qui­et flow

Banished ev­ery cloud of care

From our fa­thers long ago

Banished ev­ery cloud of care

From our fa­thers long ago.

When our coun­try’s ban­ner bright

Told her deeds of no­ble worth

Children hailed its ra­di­ant light

Hailed the land that gave them birth.

Children now re­joice to hear

All their youth­ful hearts can know

And the pre­cepts still rev­ere

Of their fa­thers long ago

And the pre­cepts still rev­ere

Of their fa­thers long ago.