My chosen state, to thee―
Cleft by the Opal Sea,
Evergreen state!
Land of the emerald ferns,
Land where the sunset burns―
To thee my heart e’er turns,
With thee I wait.
When sunset fires thy peaks,
Mountain to mountain speaks―
“Dark hours are near!”
But when the night is done
Rays of soft color run
Up from the rising sun, ―
Flashing―“Good cheer!”
Thy future shall be grand,
Arise and take thy stand―
Strong, proud and free!
In the world’s march, keep tread
Where Truth’s white star has led,
Let no hard word be said,
Ever, of thee!
All thy mistakes are past,
Lift up thy head at last―
Smile thro’ thy tears!
Thy darkest hour is gone,
Hail, hail the golden dawn―
Press on thy course, and on
Thro’ all the years!
Below is the “The Evergreen State” as it appears in Higginson’s When the Birds Go North Again (1898). The poem was written to match the melody of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” or “America” (music by Thomas Arne, American lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith).
