The words originated from the poem Rule Britannia, by James Thompson[?], and was put to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. The first performance took place at Cliveden[?], country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales.
When Britain first at Heav'n's command Arose from out the azure main; This was the charter of the land, And guardian angels sang this strain;
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves: Britons never will be slaves.
The nations not so blest as thee, Shall in their turns to tyrants fall; While thou shalt flourish great and free, The dread and envy of them all.
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves: Britons never will be slaves.
Still mor majestic shalt thou rise, 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.
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame, All their attempts to bend thee down Will but arouse thy generous flame; But work their woe, and thy renown.
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves: Britons never will be slaves.
To thee belongs the rural reign; They cities shall with commerce shine; All thine shall be the subject main, And every shore it circles thine.
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves: Britons never will be slaves.
The Muses, still with freedom found, Shall to thy happy coast repair; Blest Isle! With matchless beauty crowned, And manly hearts to juide the fair.
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves: Britons never will be slaves.
Rule Britannia is traditionally performed at the BBC's Last Night of the Proms, normally with a guest soloist (past performers have included Bryn Terfel[?], Thomas Hampton[?], and Felicity Lott[?]). However, in recent years the inclusion of the song and other patriotic tunes has been much criticised -- notably by Leonard Slatkin[?] -- and the presentation has been amended.
Rule Britannia is also a novel by Daphne du Maurier.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump