Land of Hope and Glory (Pomp and Circumstance) Printable Lyrics – PDF

by Edward Elgar & A. C. Benson

“Pomp and Circumstance” is a piece performed at graduations and commencement ceremonies as far back as the early 1900s. But there’s a long story about it:

It is actually the first of five marches Edward Elgar composed in 1901 under the same title. The piece was such an immediate success in England, that a year later Elgar used its main theme in another piece of his, titled Coronation Ode for Edward VII. The essayist and poet A.C. Benson wrote the lyrics; this version was performed in the related coronation ceremony. At this point comes the creation of the song “Land of Hope and Glory”, which is the most popular patriotic song in the United Kingdom up to this day. As a result, many citizens have lobbied to have it replace “God Save the Queen” as the national anthem of England!

The connection of Elgar’s piece with graduation ceremonies in the U.S.A. starts four years later. In 1905 the piece was performed at Yale University during the ceremony where Elgar was awarded an honorary doctorate. One by one, all the major universities of the U.S.A. followed; in a few years’ time “Pomp and Circumstance” became a graduation staple.

On this page you can find lyrics, a printable lyrics PDF file for free download and a sing-along video of the song.

Contents

Printable Lyrics PDF

Click on the button to download a PDF file with lyrics to this song for free.

Lyrics

Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned,
God make thee mightier yet!
On Sov’ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Have ruled thee well and long;
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.

Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.

Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide:
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride;
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.