The School Hymn

Ashford School Hymn

Land of our birth, we pledge to thee

Our love and toil in the years to be;

When we are grown and take our place,

As men and women with our race.

Father in Heaven who lovest all,

O help thy children when they call,

That they may build from age to age

An undefiled heritage.

Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,

With steadfastness and careful truth;

That, in our time thy grace may give

The truth whereby the nations live.

Teach us to rule ourselves always,

Controlled and cleanly night and day;

That we may bring, if need arise

No maimed or worthless sacrifice.

Teach us to look in all our ends

On thee for judge, and not our friends;

That we, with thee, may walk uncowed

By fear or favour of the crowd.

Teach us the strength that cannot seek,

By deed or thought to hurt the weak;

That, under thee we may possess

Man’s strength to comfort man’s distress.

Teach us delight in simple things,

And mirth that has no bitter springs;

Forgiveness free of evil done,

And love to all men ’neath the sun.

Land of our birth, our faith, our pride,

For whose dear sake our fathers died;

O Motherland, we pledge to thee,

Head, heart and hand through the years to be.

by Rudyard Kipling. 1906

Set to music by Mrs Avery in 1928; she was the visiting Music Teacher at Mrs Thimann’s school when it was bought by Mrs Edwards in 1910, and became a permanent member of staff and Head of the Music Department until her retirement in 1933.