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by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)

Blow, trumpet, for the world is white...
Language: English 
Blow, trumpet, for the world is white with May;
Blow trumpet, the long night hath rolled away!
Blow through the living world -- "Let the King reign."

Shall Rome or Heathen rule in Arthur's realm?
Flash brand and lance, fall battleaxe upon helm,
Fall battleaxe, and flash brand! Let the King reign.

Strike for the King and live! his knights have heard
That God hath told the King a secret word.
Fall battleaxe, and flash brand! Let the King reign.

Blow trumpet! he will lift us from the dust.
Blow trumpet! live the strength and die the lust!
Clang battleaxe, and clash brand! Let the King reign.

Strike for the King and die! and if thou diest,
The King is King, and ever wills the highest.
Clang battleaxe, and clash brand! Let the King reign.

Blow, for our Sun is mighty in his May!
Blow, for our Sun is mightier day by day!
Clang battleaxe, and clash brand! Let the King reign.

The King will follow Christ, and we the King
In whom high God hath breathed a secret thing.
Fall battleaxe, and flash brand! Let the King reign.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in The Holy Grail and Other Poems, in The Coming of Arthur, first published 1869 [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 William George Cusins (1833 - 1893), "The Song of King Arthur's Knights", published 1880 [four-part chorus a cappella], from the collection Songs from the published writings of Alfred Tennyson, London, C. Kegan Paul [
     text not verified 
    ]
  • by Frederica Elvira Gambogi (? - 1940), "Coronation song", published 1902 [voice and organ obbligato], London, Metzler [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-04
Line count: 21
Word count: 188

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