Scripture Verse

I will refine them and test them. Jeremiah 9:7

Introduction

portrait
Katharine L. Bates
(1859–1929)

Words: Kath­ar­ine L. Bates, 1893, alt. Bates orig­in­al­ly wrote the words as a po­em, Pikes Peak, first pub­lished in the Fourth of Ju­ly edi­tion of the church pe­ri­od­ical The Con­gre­ga­tion­al­ist in 1895. At that time, the po­em was ti­tled Am­eri­ca.

Music: Ma­ter­na Sam­uel A. Ward, 1882 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

portrait
Samuel Ward (1847–1903)

Lyrics

illustration
On Summit of Pikes Peak

O beau­ti­ful for spa­cious skies,
For am­ber waves of grain;
For pur­ple mount­ain ma­jes­ties
Above the fruit­ed plain!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with bro­ther­hood,
From sea to shin­ing sea.

O beau­ti­ful for pil­grim feet,
Whose stern, im­pas­sioned stress
A tho­rough­fare for free­dom beat
Across the wil­der­ness!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God mend thine ev­ery flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-con­trol,
Thy li­ber­ty in law!

O beau­ti­ful for he­roes proved
In li­ber­at­ing strife,
Who more than self their coun­try loved,
And mer­cy more than life!
America! Am­eri­ca!
May God thy gold re­fine,
Till all suc­cess be no­ble­ness,
And ev­ery gain div­ine.

O beau­ti­ful for pa­tri­ot dream
That sees be­yond the years
Thine ala­bas­ter ci­ties gleam,
Undimmed by hu­man tears!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God mend thine ev­ery flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self con­trol,
Thy li­ber­ty in law.

Bates’ orig­in­al ver­sion:

O beau­ti­ful for hal­cy­on skies,
For am­ber waves of grain,
For pur­ple mount­ain maj­es­ties
Above the ena­mel­ed plain!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-heart­ed sea!

O beau­ti­ful for pil­grim feet
Whose stern, im­pas­sioned stress
A tho­rough­fare for free­dom beat
Across the wil­der­ness!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God shed His grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pil­grim foot and knee!

O beau­ti­ful for glo­ry-tale
Of li­ber­at­ing strife,
When once or twice, for man’s av­ail,
Men lav­ished pre­cious life!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God shed His grace on thee
Till self­ish gain no long­er stain,
The ban­ner of the free!

O beau­ti­ful for pa­tri­ot dream
That sees be­yond the years
Thine ala­bas­ter ci­ties gleam
Undimmed by hu­man tears!
America! Am­eri­ca!
God shed His grace on thee
Till nob­ler men keep once again
Thy whit­er ju­bi­lee!