O walls of stone, built carefully and straight, You lie beneath the sunshine and the night, The men who built you know not they were great, Nor ever dreamed you would reveal their might; But every day they labored hard and long To make their fields yield harvest to their hand, Your stones, which would have vanquished men less strong, Became submissive at their stern command. They made of you the guardian of their homes, Evoked a blessing from reluctant earth, They built their souls forever in gray stones, And left a heritage of manly worth. No land of stone can labor's hand deny, Gray guardian walls in silent witness lie. |