The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-02-13
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.

II tue IOtyHestdH sumo tuEcc ycatS elnCe, Is sup
'Osed to have been composed by the late King Kane
smehs w.. or at least has been credited to him
at this time il possesses peculiar interest," and will
e read with deep emotion. 1t brearhes that kindly
pirit that characterized him and for which those
rho knew him best, admired him most. The Ian
uaee used in the entire composition, shows a true
oerc mind, bat the pr-yer contained in the last
aragraph in particular, is impressive and touching
APostroPhe Kamcha me Inn l..
FROM
Shade Of my honor ancestors, surnamed the Great.
First n iIlustrious made by thee
BY thee and the Fates omnipotent,-'twas thine
To the thresholds Of two ages open,
And lone and glorious, like Morning Star,
To reign in the portals OF the dawn;-to see
The ancient might Of all thy dynasties
Depart with all its mysteries, and gloom,
And all its grandeur-taking to the Shades
Many brave and noble soul untutor'd,
Worthy OF brotherhood and rule with thee;
And bearing with thee, warthy the beques
All their strong manly instincts. to meet
And merge with the gentler traits Of heaven in thee
60 with one hand waving away the shadows
OF all thy fathers faiths, and their traditions,
Their savage impulses and cruel passions,
But holding sti. their earnestness Of purpose,
Their lyon will. capacity Tor action,
And stubbornness TO reign, thou didst reach forth
Thy other hand, with chiIdlke faith, and welcome
And usher in and place before thy people
Their future Hope go when the raging
Is Iash'd by hurricanes and torn by rocks,
Where ;he -ou Of the Pacific
Against headlands
Subsidies to eeward into gentle rippes
That softly eakiupon the coral beach
With sleepy murmur, bathing chldren's feet -
So dldst thou then abandon the rude shocks,
Turmoil and chaos of heathenism, and come
To dwell! with the camer world, whose advance
Would teach thy people peace
Fourth Of thy Name, succeeding by the grace
OF God to this inheritance, strive,
Have striven and will, here to maintain the charges
Bequeathed by thee In no light mood,-to hold
WIKI all the strength may, thy native force
OF thought and purpose--Yet grieve! grieve
To our ancient stawart race decline,
And shrink and wither I'm despite Vi all
The better teachings the better sFii. The vigor
OF the old time is gone Euerva.e both
In brain and body, they not the people
Who fought with thee and cheered thee battle,
Who drew green plenty from their bounteous land,
Ran the mountains swift q summer shadows
And in the Deep 'gainst fishes, the
They sicken and they die. grieve grieve,
Over the wasting land once green with crops,
Now mark'd by silence and the grass grown ridges
The merry fields Of old where dance and song
And heahfu games cheerd the daily toll
TIL toll pastime They silen; now,
Or only from some solitary hut
Comes a low wall or feeble strain Of song,
Or meaningless and melancholy hymn.
The spirit Of our fathers Is not here;
The goodIy forms erect and velvet skinn'd,
Valiant in war, playful in peace and love,
The pride and beauty OF their island home,
Are missing, and the nation droops.
Yet silver fringe and broad blue
EncircIe US {; the same loud rolling SURF
Der which my fathers frolick'ed, beats the same
Incessant grand puiSatOns, and the mountains
Loom hixt in heaven ever,-only she,
The implacable Pele, feels the touch OF age,
And vomits forth her wrath in feebler spasms.
Oh King tits known that thou didst love thy people
Then, If IL may he, visit them
(In form alow'd by Heaven-) Breathe draught
OF thy old vigor forth the land.
And pray for it in thy abiding place,
Wherever that may he; and pray for me,
That may govern worthy of my race,
Rouse up my people from their baneful trance,
And in the appointed time join unabash'd
My crowned ancestors.
HAWAII 29Ih January, 1851