by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)
God of our fathers, known of old
Language: English
God of our fathers, known of old, Lord of our far-flung battle-line, Beneath whose awful Hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine - Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget -- lest we forget! The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget -- lest we forget! Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget -- lest we forget! If, drunk with sight of power, we loose Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe, Such boastings as the Gentiles use, Or lesser breeds without the Law -- Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget -- lest we forget! For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube and iron shard, All valiant dust that builds on dust, And guarding, calls not Thee to guard, For frantic boast and foolish word -- Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!
P. Grainger sets stanzas 1-3
About the headline (FAQ)
Written for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, published in The Times, July 1897; confirmed with Rudyard Kipling, The Five Nations, New York: Charles Scribner's Son, 1903, pages 201 - 202.
Text Authorship:
- by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), "Recessional", appears in The Five Nations, first published 1897 [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 J. S. L. D. Bennett , "God of our Fathers", <<1932 [ chorus and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. Berridge , "Recessional" [sung text not yet checked]
- by G. F. Blanchard , "God of our Fathers", published 1920 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Helen Matilda P. Bouverie (flourished c1925), "God of our Fathers", published 1918 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Herbert Bunning (1863 - 1937), "Lest we forget", published 1911 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by S. Clark , "Recessional", published 1907 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Clough-Leighter (1874 - 1956), "Recessional", published 1915 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. J. Humphrey Coulter , "Recessional", published 1910 [ unison chorus, organ, and percussion ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Henry Louis) Reginald De Koven (1859 - 1920), "Recessional", published 1898 [ vocal quartet, chorus, orchestra ], confirmed with High School Songs (piano reduction), New York: Allyn & Bacon, 1917, pages 248 - 252 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by D. Morgan Elliott , "Recessional", published 1912 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by D. St. C. Fogg , "Recessional", published 1919 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Foote (1853 - 1937), "Recessional", published 1915 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by G. Foster , "Recessional", published 1918 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. J. Gentry , "Recessional", published 1918 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert W. Gibb (1893 - 1964), "God of our Fathers", <<1964 [ soprano or tenor, SATB chorus, and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Wallace Gilchrist (1846 - 1916), "Recessional", published 1902 [ chorus and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961), "Recessional", 1929, published 1930, stanzas 1-3 [ chorus and organ ad libitum ], note: sketches done in 1905 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henry Kimball Hadley (1871 - 1937), "Recessional", published 1904 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by G. E. Holt , "Recessional", published 1914 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E. G. (G. E.?) Hopkins , "Recessional", published 1906 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Holden Huss (1862 - 1953), "God of our Fathers", published 1901 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872 - 1951), "Recessional", published 1907 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Clement Martin (1844 - 1916), "Recessional", published 1908 [ chorus and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Holon Matthews (b. 1904), "Recessional", published 1918 [ mixed chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Woodall Naylor (1867 - 1934), "Recessional", published 1909 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Balch Nevin (1859 - 1933), "God of our Fathers", copyright © 1900 [ vocal quartet for male voices and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. A. Parks , "Lest we forget", published 1922 [ 2-part chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur A. Parmor , "Recessional" [ voice and piano ], in The Kipling Journal, April 1931 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur A. Penn (1875 - 1941), "Lest we forget", published 1925 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harry Rowe Shelley (1858 - 1947), "Recessional", published 1917 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by G. C. Sterns , "God of our Fathers", published 1906 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John A. Straker (b. 1908), "Lest we forget", published 1915 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Thomas Sweeting (1863 - 1930), "Lest we forget", published 1924 [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. F. Walker , "Lest we forget", copyright © 1914 [ voice and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George William Warren , "God of our Fathers" [sung text not yet checked]
- by (James) Healey Willan (1880 - 1968), "Recessional", published 1928 [ unison chorus or SATB chorus, and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Wood (1866 - 1926), "God of our Fathers", published 1927 [ voice and organ ], set to the tune "Fokkingham", in Church Hymnary [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. H. Woodman , "Recessional", published 1900 [ men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 192