Her passion sons, like meteor stars, flashed on their wondering eyes.
Born in that sunny clime of love, where beauty tints the air,
And earth and ocean, sun and shade, are more divinely fair;
No marvel that their minds upgrew full freighted with each tone,
And Love and Beauty sheltered them within their magic zone,
Till all they saw and all they felt found in each work a birth;
Oh! was not the world beautiful when Genius walked the earth!
This world of ours was beautiful when by fair Arno’s stream
Sweet Florence lay bedecked with gifts, like beauty in her dream;
So soft her skies, so mild her suns, such perfume in each breeze,