English Roses by F. Harald Williams [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] |
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| I. |
| II. |
GOD DEFEND THE RIGHT. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
 | English Roses |  |
GOD DEFEND THE RIGHT.
Where Roman eagle never flew
The flag of England flies,
The herald of great empires new
Beneath yet larger skies;
Upon a hundred lands and seas,
And over ransomed slaves
Who poured to her no idle pleas,
The pledge of Freedom waves;
Whatever man may well have done
We did with dauntless might,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
The flag of England flies,
The herald of great empires new
Beneath yet larger skies;
Upon a hundred lands and seas,
And over ransomed slaves
Who poured to her no idle pleas,
The pledge of Freedom waves;
Whatever man may well have done
We did with dauntless might,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
Where hardly climb the mountain goats,
On stormy cape and crag,
A refuge to the wanderer floats
Our hospitable flag;
If alien banners only mock
With glory's fleeting wraith,
It stands on the eternal rock
A fortress of our faith;
Wherever steps her gallant son
The powers of ill take flight,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
On stormy cape and crag,
A refuge to the wanderer floats
Our hospitable flag;
If alien banners only mock
With glory's fleeting wraith,
It stands on the eternal rock
A fortress of our faith;
129
The powers of ill take flight,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
When wrongs cry out for brave redress
Our justice does not lag,
And as the seal of righteousness
Unfurls our stainless flag;
The helpless see it proudly shine
And hail a sheltering robe,
It beacons on the thin red line
That girdles round the globe;
A pioneer of truth as none
Before it scatters light,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
Our justice does not lag,
And as the seal of righteousness
Unfurls our stainless flag;
The helpless see it proudly shine
And hail a sheltering robe,
It beacons on the thin red line
That girdles round the globe;
A pioneer of truth as none
Before it scatters light,
So England holds what England won
And God defends the right.
Beneath the shadow of its peace
Though riddled to a rag,
The down-trod nations gain release
Beneath our blood-tried flag;
Ours are the battles of the Lord,
And never will we yield
A foot we measured with the sword—
Save for a burial-field;
And we will not retreat, while one
Stout heart remains to fight;
Let England hold what England won,
And God defend the right.
Though riddled to a rag,
The down-trod nations gain release
Beneath our blood-tried flag;
Ours are the battles of the Lord,
And never will we yield
A foot we measured with the sword—
Save for a burial-field;
And we will not retreat, while one
Stout heart remains to fight;
Let England hold what England won,
And God defend the right.
| English Roses | |