I VOW TO THEE, MY COUNTRY

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Words: Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, 1918.
Music: "Thaxted," Gustav Theodore Holst, 1921.

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 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.