PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR 

O Dunbar! the son of everlasting fame, 
Thou served st thy race, thy country-men, but  not in vain; 

The everlasting lessons thou hast taught 
Are lights by which our fortunes may be wrought; 

Thy songs we sing o'er rugged hill and plains, 
Dost soothe our daily heartaches and our pains. 

Thou marched into the world among the brave, 
And all the way was forward to thy early grave; 
Toiling each day for those that never knew; 
Inspiring them to live serene and true; 
Thou wast the guide on pathways we must go, 
The mighty teacher who taught us dreams to 
sow. 

Oh, Dunbar, the son of Ethiopian blood, 
Thou soarest above life s raging tides and flood; 
Rest in thy peace beyond the distant sky, 
Thy memory is in our hearts never to die. 
Dunbar, Dunbar! of everlasting fame, 
Thy service we honor and thy genius claim!