Zealandla Our Own.

Standing bravely, standing firmly,
To the deep Pacific,—
As it bears on wild, and sternly—
With the ware terrific;
Zealandia midst wave alone,
Zelandia our own.

Or nestling fondly is its lap—
As gentlier it flows
Soft yielding to the quiet sap—
Where storms could not impose.

Thy plains press'd down with native wealth
Do swell expanses wide,
Huge nurseries of life, and health,
When we their growth divide.

Vast forests with the snows conspire—
Thy mountains to enshroud,
While from high peak volcanic fire—
Leaps to the thunder loud.

The murmer of the limpid stream,
The boom of cataract,
The hies of geyser's rushing steam,
Our love, our awe exact.

Epitome of every thing—
That studs the earths wide rim,
With Naptune for its only King,
And this its first-born hymn.

A gem at first too large too rare—
For fallen man to take,
So Nature clove it here, and there,
These smaller gems to make.

Let it be ours the whole to bind—
To nuity again;
By power of man's unfolding mind—
To conquer parting main.

Be ours the noble work to found—
One Nation of this land,
Be ours to rule the ocean round,
And Britain's foe withstand