Thousands on thousands throng

Thousands on thousands throng The City’s spacious street, With loud acclaim and raptured shout A coming Queen to greet.

Exultant cries of joy Ring through the sun-bright air, And with one vast and giant-voice A Nation’s love declare.

“Queen of the brave and free! Queen of the ocean-foam! Welcome to this green Sister-isle, Glad as a welcome home!”

To utter forth the joy All human voices fail, So Nature sends her messenger To tell the gladsome tale.

Emblem of truth and love, Of peace like heaven serene, Forth flies Her timid gentle dove To greet the glorious Queen.

Bird of the woodland shade, And solitary calm, What spirit high thy breast inspired To fly without alarm,

Mid that joy-shouting crowd In pomp and bannered pride, To rest thy wing and nestle by Victoria’s loving side?

In Greece, the wise of old, From flights of birds divined The will of heaven, and deemed therein Deep prophecies enshrined.

Bird of the olive branch, Sweet harbinger of peace, Heaven sent thee to the Ark to tell— “The deluge-waters cease.”

We, like the patriarch hoar, And like those ancient seers, Would deem thy mystic flight portends Joy for the coming years.

Now Erin knows her Queen, And greets with welcome smile, And sees she bears a heart of love For th’ sons of th’ Emerald Isle.

She of the wild warm heart, Henceforth her harp will tune To songs of peace, and lays of love, Beneath the summer noon.

Waves, on their silver crests, Will waft the music o’er, Mixed with their own proud melody To Britain’s naval shore.

The Sister-Isles shall dwell In concord yet unknown, And shamrock wreathed with olive twine VICTORIA’S glorious crown!