Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal ‎#648

648. 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 the reason, 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 one by one and fervently we pray for her 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: Sir Cecil Spring-Rice (1859-1918) (1918; alt.)
• Meter: 13.13.13.13.13.13.
• Publication Date: 1985
• Topic: Christan Life: Love of Country

Tune Information

• Name: THAXTED (Holst)
• Composer: Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
• Meter: 13.13.13.13.13.13.
• Incipit: 35617 51217 67653
• Key: B♭ Major
• Source: From The Planets, 1918
• Copyright: Music copyright © J. Curwen & Sons. Used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc., U.S.A. agents.