New English Praise ‎#620

620. I vow to thee, my country, all earthy things above

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 earthy things above
• Author: Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice, 1859-1918
• Meter: 13 13 13 13 13 13
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2006
• Topic: Times and Seasons: Remembrance Sunday

Tune Information

• Name: THAXTED
• Composer: Gustav Holst, 1874-1934
• Meter: 13 13 13 13 13 13
• Key: B♭ Major
• Source: Adapt.: Compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised, 1950
• Notes: A setting of this tune in a higher key is provided at 645