Labor fearless, labor faithful

1 Labor fearless, labor faithful,
Labor while the day shall last;
For the shadows of the evening,
Soon the sky shall overcast;
Ere shall end the day of labor,
Ere shall rest thy manhood's sun,
Strive with every power within thee,
That th'appointed task be done.

2 Life is not the traceless shadow,
Nor the wave upon the beach;
Tho' our days are brief, yet lasting
Is the stamp we give to each;
Life is real; life is earnest,
Full of labor, full of thought;
Every hour and every moment,
Is with living vigor fraught.