[Editor: This song by L. E. Homfray was published in Australians, Awake! And Other Poems (1915).]
Hymn for Peace.
Give Peace in our Time, O Lord.
Tune 370, A. & M. Hymns.
God of our Fathers, hear us now,
Before Whose Throne all nations bow,
Defend us from the bitter foe,
Sustain us in the hour of woe:
Give peace, O Lord, Thy people pray,
Give peace in this our trial day.
Subdue the angry waves of strife,
And safely guard the nation’s life;
Protect our land from every harm,
And cheer our heart and nerve our arm:
Hear Thou the prayer Thy people pray,
Give peace, O Lord, in this our day.
For selfish lives and envious pride,
For secret sins we fain would hide,
Good Lord, Thy pardon now we plead;
Oh! save us in our hour of need:
Hear Thou the prayer all nations pray,
And turn Thy wrath from us away.
Oh! God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit ever one,
To Thee ascends the nation’s cry
As loyal hearts go forth to die.
Hear Thou the prayer Thy people pray
Give peace in this our trial day.
Amen.
Source:
L. E. Homfray, Australians, Awake! And Other Poems, Sydney: D. S. Ford, [1915?], page 7
Editor’s notes:
A. & M. Hymns = Hymns Ancient and Modern, a collection of hymns in common use within the Church of England (the first full edition of which was published in 1861, following the production of a specimen edition in 1859 and a trial edition in 1860)
fain = happily or gladly; ready or willing; obliged or compelled
Lord = in a religious context, and capitalized, a reference to God or Jesus
Old spelling in the original text:
thee (you)
thou (you)
thy (your)
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