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Poems (Geisse)/The Laurel

From Wikisource
THE LAUREL.
In thy glossy leaves, O laurel!
What rich memories abide,
Though thou art of lesser stature,
Thou canst match the oak in pride.

And thou hast a nobler mission
Than that monarch of the wood,
For thou art the crown and symbol
Of the glorious and the good.

By Apollo thou wert chosen
As an emblem of high praise,
For the famous and heroic
In the old Hellenic days.

And he gave thee "youth eternal"
As a token of regard,
Hence thou art a fit oblation
For the hero and the bard.

For though earthly fame shall perish,
Genius is forever born,
And great deeds are still inspired
By the conquerors who have gone.