My country, 'tis of thee (Traditional)
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- CPDL #01980: Finale 1998
- Editor: Rafael Ornes (submitted 2001-01-16). Score information: Letter, 1 page, 17 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: Verses one to four included.
- CPDL #16830: Sibelius 4 [ MusicXML] Sibelius SVG
- Editor: Theresa A. Steiner (submitted 2008-05-07). Score information: Letter, 1 page, 58 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: All six verses included.
General Information
Title: My Country, 'Tis of Thee aka America, my country 'tis of thee
Composer: Anonymous, melody derived from the British national anthem, God Save the King
Lyricist: Samuel Francis Smith
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymn
Language: English
Instruments: a cappella
Published: Pilgrim Hymnal
Description: This version is derived from the 1917 edition of 55 Songs and Choruses for Community Singing. The original version begins with this introductory text:
- "Several nations have used this splendid dignified tune, either as a national anthem,
- or as a composition of the utmost importance. Parts of the melody have been traced
- back as far as Dr. John Bull (1563-1628), but the composer of the melody in its final
- form is still unknown, though many continue to credit it to Henry Carey, an Englishman (1690-1743).
- The words were written in 1832 by Reverend S. F. Smith, an American clergymen.
- The song was first sung publicly at a children's celebration of American independence in the Park
- Street Church, Boston, July 4, of that year. Numerous other verses have been written to this melody.
- Two of the best are the ones below by Henry Van Dyke.
External websites:
Original text and translations
Original text:
English text
- 1.
- My country 'tis of thee,
- Sweet land of liberty,
- Of thee I sing:
- Land where my fathers died !
- Land of the pilgrims' pride
- From ev'ry mountainside
- Let freedom ring !
- 2.
- My native country, thee,
- Land of the noble free,
- Thy name I love:
- I love thy rocks and rills
- Thy woods and templed hills;
- My heart with rapture thrills
- Like that above.
- 3.
- Let music swell the breeze,
- And ring from all the trees
- Sweet freedom's song:
- Let mortal tongues awake;
- Let all that breathe partake;
- Let rocks their silence break,
- The sound prolong.
- 4.
- Our fathers' God, to Thee,
- Author of liberty,
- To Thee we sing:
- Long may our land be bright
- With freedom's holy light;
- Protect us by Thy might,
- Great God, our King!
- 5.
- We love thine inland seas,
- Thy groves and giant trees,
- Thy rolling plains;
- Thy rivers' mighty sweep,
- Thy mystic canyons deep,
- Thy mountains wild and steep,--
- All thy domains.
- 6.
- Thy silver Eastern strands,
- Thy Golden Gate that stands
- Fronting the West;
- Thy flowery Southland fair,
- Thy North's sweet, crystal air:
- O Land beyond compare,
- We love thee best!