My soul, there is a country

My soul, there is a country. Henry Vaughan* (1622-1695). Published as a poem entitled ‘Peace’ in Vaughan’s collection Silex Scintillans (‘Sparkling Flint’, Part 1, 1650). The complete poem was first used as a hymn in Godfrey Thring*’s The Church of England Hymn Book (1882; see Church of England Hymn Book*). It was thought by Percy Dearmer* to be an ‘exquisite lyric’ (Songs of Praise Discussed, 1933, p. 309), and included in SofP and SofPE. The original text in 1650 was as follows, in undivided quatrains: My Soul, there is a Countrie  Far beyond the stars,Where stands a winged Centrie  All skilfull in the wars,There, above noise, and danger  Sweet peace sits crown’d with smiles,And one born...