Swami Vivekananda                           

Conquest of America by Vivekananda Swami

(published in The Indian Mirror 1897)

The Swami sailed to Western shore,

Not as Cortes did before,

To conquer with the fire and sword

A dark unillumin'd horde,

H is weapons were of other mould

His aim not earthly power or gold ;

Bravely he steered athwart the main,   .

With none to follow in his train ;

With not a single shell in hand,

To raise his loved mother-land,

In the eyes of people far away,

Of master-minds as bright as day,

He told them in langnage clear,

They need not shed a drop of tear

For fallen Ind, who still doth own

A precious stone, to them unknown.

The Hindu is by culture mild,

Forbearing, generous, and kind;

The Hindu does not take delight

In hawking, hunting or in fight;

For birds and beasts as well as men

He always has a tender vein :

Feels in fact a brotherly love

For insects, worms and all above.

Though strongly wedded to his own,

He does not in his heart disown

The merits of another's creed

The piety of a pious deed,

Be it done by a Hindu true

An Arab wild or wand'ring Jew.

How quick did Swami gain his end,

And the ways of 'mericans mend !

When Caesar went to conquer Gaul

He went and saw and conquer'd all.

- O.C.M