Rule Britannia

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.