Knowledge and Virtue! sister powers, <br />Who guard and grace a Christian state, <br />Better than bulwarks, walls, or towers, <br />To you this hall we dedicate. <br /> <br /> <br />Temple of Science! through thy door, <br />Now first thrown open, do we throng, <br />And reverently stand before <br />Creation's God, with prayer and song. <br /> <br /> <br />Father of lights! thou gav'st us eyes <br />Earth, ocean, sun, and stars to see, <br />And thee in all;-they roll or rise <br />To teach us of thy majesty. <br /> <br /> <br />Works of his hand! where'er ye lie, <br />In earth or heaven, in light or shade, <br />These walls shall to your voice reply; <br />Here shall your wonders be displayed. <br /> <br /> <br />Trees! that in field or forest stand, <br />Flowers! that spring up in every zone, <br />Winds! that with fragrance fill your hand, <br />Where trees have leafed, or flowers have blown,- <br /> <br /> <br />Suns! in the depths of space that burn, <br />Planets! that walk around our own, <br />Comets! that rush to fill your urn <br />With light out-gushing from his throne,- <br /> <br /> <br />Waters! from all the earth that rise, <br />And back to all its oceans go, <br />Cooling, in clouds, the flaming skies, <br />Cheering, in rains, the world below,- <br /> <br /> <br />Torrents! that down the mountain rush, <br />Glaciers! that on its shoulders shine, <br />Pearls! in your ocean bed that blush, <br />Diamonds! yet sleeping in your mine,- <br /> <br /> <br />Lightnings! that from your cloud leap out, <br />Thunders! that in its bosom sleep, <br />Fires! that from Etna's crater spout, <br />Rocks! that the earthquake's records keep,- <br /> <br /> <br />Rainbows! that over-arch a storm, <br />Or dance around a waterfall, <br />Tornadoes! that earth's face deform,- <br />Teach us, O teach us, in this hall.<br /><br />John Pierpont<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/hymns-for-dedication-xi/
