Page:An Anthology of Modern Bohemian Poetry.pdf/63

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MODERN BOHEMIAN POETRY
Let with a heavenly music sound, o'er half the world its mastery wield,

A foreign tongue.

Queen of them all is in our eyes, and unto none the palm shall yield,

Our native tongue.


And tho' it were a beggar-girl, and nothing but a maiden spurned—

Our native tongue.

It is our will that it may to a glorious princess be turned—

Our native tongue.


Be thou the apple of our eye, be thou to us more dear than all—

Our native tongue.

And never thro' our failing care, upon it shall a shadow fall—

Our native tongue.


There has no compact e'er been made, that can impose a price to pay

On our native tongue.

Rather would we all surrender, than a jot should go astray

From our native tongue.


Nay, ne'er shall be with our consent surrendered to an overlord,

Our native tongue.