Verse I Attend, ye freemen, whilst I raise my voice against the throne of pride; No magistrate is born a king, though clothed in pomp and gilded guise. When rulers barter sacred rights for vanity and fleeting gain, They loose the chains of tyranny and drench the soil in needless pain. Our labor is not tribute owed, our sons no monarch's lawful prize; The people's trust, once violated, summons liberty to rise. Verse II Let none proclaim my heart disloyal, nor stain my name with traitor's brand; I curse not this fair Commonwealth—I love this consecrated land. My quarrel lies with those who wield authority beyond its bound, Who place ambition over justice while the people's voice is drowned. For love of country bids us stand where conscience lights the righteous way; The patriot speaks the bitter truth though all the courts condemn his say. Verse III Our fathers forged this Union not to crown an earthly sovereign's head, But that the laws should master rulers, not the people bow instead. The charter lives to check the proud, restrain the grasp of lawless might, And arm the honest citizen in preservation of his right. Where power gathers unchecked strength, corruption swiftly takes its seat; Thus vigilance is freedom's shield, and silence ends in sure defeat. Verse IV From mountain pass to harbor shore, from frontier field to bustling town, Let every village bell proclaim no despot wears Columbia's crown. We'll gather peaceably as one and reckon every public wrong; Our cause is just, our spirits firm, our covenant enduring strong. No faction owns this sacred soil, no office grants immortal claim; The Republic lives because her sons refuse to bow to shame. Verse V Then let the standard brave the wind while generations yet arise, A witness that free hearts endure beneath unclouded heaven's skies. Though presidents and councils fade like autumn leaves upon the plain, The people's sovereign liberty shall evermore remain. So lift your voice with steadfast soul and let all distant nations hear: We kneel to God, uphold just law, and yield to neither throne nor fear.
