CUBA LIBRE.
Joaquin Miller
omes a cry from Cuban water— - From the warm, dusk Antilles—
- From the lost Atlanta's daughter.
- Drowned in blood as drowned in seas;
- Comes a cry of purpled anguish—
- See her struggles, hear her cries!
- Shall she live, or shall she languish?
- Shall she sink, or shall she rise ?
- She shall rise, by all that's holy!
- She shall live and she shall last;
- Rise as we, when crushed and lowly
- From the blackness of the past.
- Bid her strike! Lo, it is written
- Blood for blood and life for life.
- Bid her smite, as she is smitten;
- Stars and stripes were born of strife.
- Once we flashed her lights of freedom,
- Lights that dazzled her dark eyes
- Till she could but yearning heed them,
- Reach her hands and try to rise.
- Then they stabbed her, choked her, drowned her,
- Till we scarce could hear a note.
- Ah! these rusting chains that bound her!
- Oh! these robbers at her throat!
- And the kind who forged these fetters?
- Ask five hundred years for news.
- Stake and thumbscrew for their betters ?
- Inquisitions! Banished Jews!
- Chains and slavery! What reminder
- Of one red man in that land?
- Why, these very chains that bind her
- Bound Columbus, foot and hand!
- She shall rise as rose Columbus,
- From his chains, from shame and wrong—
- Rise as Morning, matchless, wondrous—
- Else as some rich morning song—
- Rise a ringing song and story.
- Valor, Love personified.
- Stars and stripes espouse her glory,
- Love and Liberty allied.