As thou sittest there <br />Skerry-bound and fair, <br />Mountains high around and ocean's deep before thee, <br />On thee casts her spell <br /> <br />Saga <br />, that shall tell <br />Once again the wonders of our land. <br /> <br />Honor is thy due, <br />'Bergen never new,' <br />Ancient and unaging as thy Holberg's humor; <br />Once kings sought thine aid,- <br />Mighty now in trade,- <br />First to fly the flag of liberty. <br /> <br />Oft in proud array, <br />As a sunshine-day <br />Breaks forth from thy rain and fog wind-driven, <br />Thou didst come with men <br />Or great deeds again, <br />When the clouds were darkest o'er our land. <br /> <br />Thy soul was the ground, <br />Wit-enriched and sound, <br />Whence there sprang stout thoughts to make our country's harvest, <br />Whence our arts exist, <br />In their birth-hour kissed <br />By thy nature, somber, large, and strong. <br /> <br />In thy mountain-hall <br />Learned our painter, <br />Dahl <br />; <br />Wand'ring on thy strands our poet dreamed, <br />Welhaven <br />; <br />All thy morning's gold <br /> <br />Ole Bull <br />ensouled, <br />Greeted on thy bay by all the world. <br /> <br />With thy sea-wide sway <br />Thou hast might for aye, <br />Fjords of blue convey thy life-blood through our country. <br />Norway's spirit thou <br />Dost with joy endow,- <br />Great thy past, no less thy future great.<br /><br />Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/bergen/
