Arms And The Man. - Welcome To France.

But, in that fiery zone     She upriseth not alone,     Over all the bloody fields     Glitter Amazonian shields;     While through the mists of years     Another form appears,     And as I bow my head     Already you have said: -         'Tis France!     Welcome to France!     From sea to sea,     With heart and hand!     Welcome to all within the land -     Thrice welcome let her be!     And to France     The Union here to-day     Gives the right of this array,     And folds her to her breast     As the friend that she loves best.     Yes to France.     The proud Ruler of the West     Bows her sun-illumined crest,     Grave and slow,     In a passion of fond memories of     One hundred years ago!     France's colors wave again     High above this tented plain,     Stream and flaunt, and blaze and shine,     O'er the banner-painted brine,     Float and flow!     And the brazen trumpets blow     While upon her serried lines,     Full the light of Freedom shines     In a broad, effulgent glow.     And here this day I see     The fairest dream that ever yet     Was dreamt by History!     As in cadence, and in time,     To the martial throb and rhyme     Of her bugles and her drums     Forth a stately vision comes -     Comes majestically slow -     Comes a fair and stately vision of             One hundred years ago!         Welcome to France!         From sea to sea,         With heart and hand!         Welcome to all within the land!             Thrice welcome let her be!             Of Freedom's Guild made free!             Welcome!                 Thrice Welcome!                     Welcome let her be!     And as in days of old     Walter Raleigh did unfold     His gay cloak, with all its hems     Wrought in braided gold and gems,     That his Queen might passing tread     On the sumptuous cloth outspread,     And step on the shining fold     Or fair samnite rich in gold.             So for France -             Splendid, grand, majestic France! -     May Fortune down her mantle throw             To mend the way that she may go!     May GLORY leap before to reap -     Up to the shoulders turned her sleeves -     And FAME behind follow to bind     Unnumbered honors in unnumbered sheaves!     And may that mantle forever be     Under thy footfall, oh France the Free!     Forever and forever!