Common Praise No. 353

And did those feet in ancient time
    walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
    on England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
    shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
    among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
    Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
    Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
    nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
    in England’s green and pleasant land.


words by William Blake (1757 – 1827)
music by Sir Hubert Parry (1848 – 1918)

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.

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.

Cecil Spring-Rice 1859-1918

set to music by Gustav Holst.