Monday, February 1, 2010

Battle Hymn of the Republic

On February 1, 1862, this poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly. The poem has become perhaps the best-known Civil War song of the Union Army, and has come to be a well-loved American patriotic anthem. Words from the first verse ("He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored") inspired John Steinbeck to title his 1939 masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath.

(Please pause my playlist on the right sidebar.)

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.


4 comments:

Mike Golch said...

AirmanMom,thank you for this great posting.It is going to show up on my site as weel.with a Thank you to you and a link back as well.former Sgt USAF M.J.Golch said that.

MightyMom said...

I'd like to introduce you to Lisa, a brand new Military Mom.

http://arewethereyet-davisfarmmom.blogspot.com/2010/01/makes-my-monday_31.html

Unknown said...

mike...I thank you!

Unknown said...

mm...I'm on my way to visit Lisa. Thank you for passing along her link. May Almighty God keep this mom strong and may Almighty God protect her soldier!