Hymns for Today ‎#272

272. Ye Sons of Freedom Wake to Glory

1 Ye sons of Freedom, wake to glory!
Hark! hark! what myriads bid you rise!
Your children, wives, and grand-sires hoary,
Behold their tears, and hear their cries!
Behold their tears, and hear their cries!
Shall hateful tyrants, mischief breeding,
With hireling hosts, a ruffian band,
Affright and desolate the land,
When peace and liberty lie bleeding?

Refrain:
To arms, to arms, ye brave!
Th’avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on,
All hearts resolved
On liberty or death!

2 With luxury and pride surrounded,
The vile insatiate despots dare,
Their thirst for gold and pow’r unbounded,
To smite and bind the light and air,
To smite and bind the light and air.
Like beasts of burden would they load us,
Like gods would bid their slaves adore,
But man is man, and who is more
Then shall they longer lash and goad us? [Refrain]

3 O, Liberty! can man resign thee,
Once having felt thy gen’rous flame?
Can dungeons, bolts and bars confine thee?
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?
Too long the world has wept, bewailing,
That falsehood’s dagger tyrants wield;
But freedom is our sword and shield,
And all their arts are unavailing. [Refrain]

Text Information

• First Line: Ye sons of Freedom, wake to glory
• Title: Ye Sons of Freedom Wake to Glory
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1920

Tune Information

• Name: THE MARSELLAISE
• Composer: Rouget de Lisle