A blessing give forever more
To those who dwell upon the shore
Who wave to distant ships at sea
And make the landfall safe for thee
Who think of lands they've never known
When building harbors of their own.
Who wait to hear you tell your tales
When you've returned from setting sail.
A blessing give one hundred fold
To folks who took this task of old,
Who charted sea and charted sky
And never ceased in asking why.
To those who learned to name the stars
Who studied currents, shoals and bars,
Who mapped out pitfalls to beware
And left their wisdom to be shared.
A blessing give to near or far
Of those whose eyes are charmed by stars
Who long for everything we'll find
If we keep wonder in our minds.
Who'll build for seas more harsh than this,
Who'll face the void and name it bliss,
Who hope to find some strange new hand,
To reach it and to understand.
A blessing be upon their work,
Each smith and bard and shipping clerk,
Whose efforts set our hearts to flight;
That dipped into eternal night.
A blessing: may we always yearn,
As ships go out and ships return,
For knowledge, stars and distant shores –
A blessing give forevermore!