Words: ; written at Bed­ford Park, Lon­don, Au­gust 18, 1897, and pub­lished in the Con­gre­ga­tion­al­ist week­ly The In­de­pen­dent, Jan­u­a­ry 27, 1898.

Music: City of Light, (1864-1931).


King of the City Splendid,
Eternal in the height,
May all our country’s cities
Grow holy in Thy sight;
Cleansed from the deeds of darkness—
Cities of light.

Teach love to gladden children
That know not childhood’s mirth,
Wronged of their rights—no beauty
In their scant reach of earth;
To hope’s large sunshine give them
A second birth.

Give joy to all the joyless,
Song’s voice to sorrows dumb,
May light invade with blessing
Each dark and deathly slum;
Into earth’s realms of horror
Thy Kingdom come!

Soon may our country’s cities
Thy robe of glory wear;
Each place of toil a temple,
Each house a home of prayer;
Each city’s name of beauty—
The Lord is there!