Away sailed De Leon, the sailor; Away with a wonderful glee, Till the birds were more rare in the azure, The dolphins more rare in the sea. Away from the shady Bahamas, Over waters no sailor had seen, Till again on his wondering vision, Rose clustering islands of green. Still onward he sped till the breezes Were laden with odors, and lo! A country embedded with flowers, A country with rivers aglow! More bright than the sunny Antilles, More fair than the shady Azores. "Thank the Lord!" said De Leon, the sailor As feasted his eye on the shores, "We have come to a region, my brothers, More lovely than earth, of a truth; And here is the life-giving fountain,-- The beautiful Fountain of Youth." IV Then landed De Leon, the sailor, Unfurled his old banner, and sung; But he felt very wrinkled and withered, All around was so fresh and so young. The palms, ever-verdant, were blooming, Their blossoms e'en margined the seas; O'er the streams of the forests bright flowers Hung deep from the branches of trees. "Praise the Lord!" sung De Leon, the sailor; His heart was with rapture aflame; And he said: "Be the name of this region By Florida given to fame. 'Tis a fair, a delectable country. More lovely than earth, of a truth; I soon shall partake of the fountain,-- The beautiful Fountain of Youth!" V But wandered De Leon, the sailor, In search of that fountain in vain; No waters were there to restore him To freshness and beauty again. And his anchor he lifted, and murmured, As the tears gathered fast in his eye, "I must leave this fair land of the flowers, Go back o'er the ocean, and die." Then back by the dreary Tortugas, And back by the shady Azores, He was borne on the storm-smitten waters To the calm of his own native shores. And that he grew older and older, His footsteps enfeebled gave proof, Still he thirsted in dreams for the fountain, The beautiful Fountain of Youth. * * * * * VI One day the old sailor lay dying On the shores of a tropical isle, And his heart was enkindled with rapture, And his face lighted up with a smile. He thought of the sunny Antilles, He thought of the shady Azores, He thought of the dreamy Bahamas, He thought of fair Florida's shores. And, when in his mind he passed over His wonderful travels of old, He thought of the heavenly country, Of the city of jasper and gold. "Thank the Lord!" said De Leon, the sailor, "Thank the Lord for the light of the truth, I now am approaching the fountain, The beautiful Fountain of Youth." VII