3144. I Vow to Thee, My Country

1. I vow to thee, my country—all earthly things above—
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

2. And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago—
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

Text Information
First Line: I vow to thee, my country--all earthly things above
Title: I Vow to Thee, My Country
Author: Cecil A. Spring-Rice (1918)
Meter: 13.13.13 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
Notes: Diana, Princess of Wales, requested this hymn be sung at her wedding, saying it had always been a favorite since schooldays. It was also sung at her funeral in 1997.
Tune Information
Name: THAXTED
Composer: Gustav Theodore Holst (1921)
Meter: 13.13.13 D
Incipit: 35617 51215 67623
Key: C Major
Source: The Planets, 1921
Copyright: Public Domain



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(Cyber Hymnal)
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(Cyber Hymnal)
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