Rule Britannia - 1740

James Pitt-Payne, London and Ian Cousins, Opera Australia - 25 Jan 2002

When Britain first,
at Heav'n's command,
Arose from out the azure main,
Arose, arose, arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter, the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sung this strain
"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

The nations not so blest as thee,
Must in their turn to tyrants fall,
Must in their turn to tyrants fall
While thou shalt flourish,
shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful from each foreign stroke;
More dreadful from each foreign stroke
As the loud blast, that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak,
"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

Thee, haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy gen'rous flame,
To work their woe, and thy renown.

"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

To thee belongs the rural reign,
Thy cities shall with commerce shine;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine
All thine shall be the subject main,
And ev'ry shore it circles, thine,
"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

The muses still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair,
Shall to thy happy coast repair
Blest Isle with beauty,
with matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair:
"Rule Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves."

(Chorus) Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves

Soft karaoke
Words
synth str 1 treble
synth str 1 bass
synth str 1 mid range
fr hrn
Lyric Line
brass
pizz str
*
Rule Britannia 1740
Music by Dr. Thomas Arne
Words by Thomson
out of copyright
sequence by Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
and Ian Cousins, Opera Australia
completed on Friday 25 Jan 2002 at 00.04
in association with Doug Grierson
*