Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — The Happiest Land

There sat one day in quiet,        &nbsp By an alehouse on the Rhine, Four hale and hearty fellows,        &nbsp And drank the precious wine. The landlord's daughter filled their cups,        &nbsp Around the rustic board Then sat they all so calm and still,        &nbsp And spake not one rude word. But, when the maid departed,        &nbsp A Swabian raised his hand, And cried, all hot and flushed with wine,        &nbsp "Long live the Swabian land! "The greatest kingdom upon earth        &nbsp Cannot with that compare With all the stout and hardy men        &nbsp And the nut-brown maidens there. "Ha!" cried a Saxon, laughing,        &nbsp And dashed his heard with wine; "I had rather live in Laplaud,        &nbsp Than that Swabian land of thine! "The goodliest land on all this earth,        &nbsp It is the Saxon land There have I as many maidens        &nbsp As fingers on this hand!" "Hold your tongues! both Swabian        &nbsp       &nbsp and Saxon!"        &nbsp A bold Bohemian cries; "If there's a heaven upon this earth,        &nbsp In Bohemia it lies. "There the tailor blows the flute,        &nbsp And the cobbler blows the horn, And the miner blows the bugle,        &nbsp Over mountain gorge and bourn." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And then the landlord's daughter        &nbsp Up to heaven raised her hand, And said, "Ye may no more contend,—        &nbsp There lies the happiest land!"