England, mother born of seamen, daughter fostered of the sea,
Mother more beloved than all who bear not all their children free,
Reared and nursed and crowned and cherished by the sea-wind and
the sun,
Sweetest land and strongest, face most fair and mightiest heart
in one,
Stands not higher than when the centuries known of earth were less
by three,
When the strength that struck the whole world pale fell back from
hers undone.

II

At her feet were the heads of her foes bowed down, and the
strengths of the storm of them stayed,
And the hearts that were touched not with mercy with terror were
touched and amazed and affrayed:
Yea, hearts that had never been molten with pity were molten with
fear as with flame,
And the priests of the Godhead whose temple is hell, and his heart
is of iron and fire,
And the swordsmen that served and the seamen that sped them, whom
peril could tame not or tire,
Were as foam on the winds of the waters of England which tempest
can tire not or tame.

III

They were girded about with thunder, and lightning came forth of