Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England's mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God On England's pleasant pastures seen? And did the Countenance divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here Among those dark Satanic mills? Bring me my Bow of burning gold: Bring me my Arrows of Desire! Bring me my Spear! Oh, Clouds unfold! Bring me my Chariot of Fire. I will not cease from Mental Fight, Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand, Till we have built Jerusalem In England's green and pleasant Land!
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: referred to by Miriam Waddington in The Snows of William BlakeAuthorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "And did those feet in ancient time", written c1804, appears in Milton, a Poem in Two Books, from the preface [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Chorbajian (b. 1936), "And did those feet in ancient time", published 1972 [ mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Austin Collignon (b. 1926), "Build Jerusalem", 1983 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "England's Pleasant Land", op. 22 no. 3, published c1907 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Linton Gardner (1917 - 2011), "And did those feet", op. 6 (1951) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Sidney Garte (1923 - 1953), "From the Preface to Milton", c1946 [ voice and piano ], from Eight Songs of William Blake, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time", alternate title: "Jerusalem", op. 208 (c1916), orchestrated 1922 by Edward Elgar, Sir [ voice, unison chorus, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895 - 1980), "Jerusalem" [ chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Russell Smith (b. 1927), "England's green and pleasant land", c1974 [ mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Virgil Garnett Thomson (1896 - 1989), "And did those feet", published c1953 [ medium voice, piano ], from Five Songs from William Blake, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Und schritten jene Füße einst", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Aminta Iriarte) , "Jerusalén", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Aminta Iriarte
This text was added to the website: 2004-02-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 97
Und schritten jene Füße einst auf Englands grünen Bergeshöhn? Und ward das heil'ge Gotteslamm auf Englands Auen je gesehn? Erschien das heil'ge Angesicht im Wolkenhimmel überm Berg? Und ward Jerusalem hier erbaut inmitten düsterm Teufelswerk? Bringt mir den Bogen lohen Golds: Bringt mir die Pfeile der Begier: Bringt mir den Speer: Gewölk, reiß auf! Bringt meinen feurig' Wagen mir! Ich lass' nicht ab vom geist'gen Streit, nicht ruh' das Schwert mir in der Hand, eh' wir Jerusalem erbaut in Englands grünem, schönem Land.
Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2010 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:
Based on:
- a text in English by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "And did those feet in ancient time", written c1804, appears in Milton, a Poem in Two Books, from the preface
This text was added to the website: 2010-07-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 83